Against the God, that built the sky,
I fought with hands uplifted high:
Despised the mansions of his grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding-place.
Enwrapt in dark Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure without a hiding-place!
But lo! the eternal counsel ran,
"Almighty love arrest the man ;"
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no hiding-place.
Then lo! a heavenly voice I heard,
And mercy's angel soon appear'd;
Who led me on a pleasing pace,
To Jesus Christ, my hiding-place,
The sweet comfort and peace, Of a soul in its ear- li - est
And the angels could do nothing more, Which I felt in.the life-giving blood!
Than to fall at his feet,
And the story repeat,
And the lover of sinners adore.
Of my Savior possessed,
I was perfectly blessed,
And was fill'd with the fulness of God.
Jesus bought, To his glorious likeness wrought, Go, to shine before his throne,
Lo, he beckons from on high!
Fearless to his presence fly;
Thine the merit of his blood,
Thine the righteousness of God!
Angels, joyful to attend,
Hovering round thy pillow bend;
Wait to catch the signal given,
And escort thee quick to heaven.
Is thy earthly house distressed,
Willing to retain its guest?
'Tis not thou, but it, must die-
Fly, celestial tenant, fly;
Burst thy shackles, drop thy clay,
Sweetly breathe thyself away:
Singing, to thy crown remove,
Swift of wing, and fired with love.
Shudder not to pass the stream,
Venture all thy care on him,
Him, whose dying love and power
Stilled its tossing, hushed its roar.
Safe in the expanded wave,
Gentle as a summer's eve:
Not one object of his care
Ever suffered shipwreck there.
See the haven full in view,
Love divine shall bear thee through.
Trust to that propitious gale;
Weigh thy anchor, spread thy sail!
Saints in glory perfect made,
Wait thy passage through the shade:
Ardent for thy coming o'er,
See they throng the blissful shore!
My heart grows warm with holy fire, And kin-dles with a
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