Faith’s Question.
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go1
For life, and joy, and light ?2
No help, no comfort from below,3
No lasting gladness we may know,4
No hope may bless our sight.5
Our souls are weary and athirst,6
But earth is iron-bound and cursed,7
And nothing she may yield can stay8
The restless yearnings day by day ;9
Yet without Thee, Redeemer blest,10
We would not, if we could, find rest.11
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go ?12
We gaze around in vain.13
Though pleasure’s fairy lute be strung,14
And mirth’s enchaining lay be sung,15
We dare not trust the strain.16
The touch of sorrow or of sin17
Hath sadden’d all, without, within ;18
What here we fondly love and prize,19
However beauteous be its guise,20
Has pass’d, is passing, or may pass,21
Like frost-fringe on the autumn grass.22
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go ?23
Our spirits dimly wait24
In the dungeon of our mortal frame ;25
And only one of direful name26
Can force its sin-barr’d gate.27
Our loved ones can but greet us through ;28
The prison grate, from which we view29
All outward things. They enter not :—30
Thou, Thou alone, canst cheer our lot.31
O Christ, we long for Thee to dwell32
Within our solitary cell !33
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go ?34
Unless Thy voice we hear35
All tuneless falls the sweetest song,36
And lonely seems the busiest throng37
Unless we feel Thee near.38
We dare not think what earth would be,39
Thou Heaven-Creator, but for Thee ;40
A howling chaos, wild and dark—41
One flood of horror, while no ark,42
Upborne above the gloom-piled wave,43
From one great death-abyss might save.44
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go ?45
The Tempter’s power is great ;46
E’en in our hearts is evil bound,47
And, lurking stealthily around,48
Still for our souls doth wait.49
Thou tempted One, whose suff’ring heart50
In all our sorrows bore a part,51
Whose life-blood only could atone,52
Too weak are we to stand alone ;53
And nothing but Thy shield of light54
Can guard us in the dreaded fight.55
To whom, O Saviour, shall we go ?56
The night of death draws near ;57
Its shadow must be pass’d alone,58
No friend can with our souls go down59
The untried way to cheer.60
Thou hast the words of endless life ;61
Thou givest victory in the strife ;62
Thou only art the changeless Friend,63
On whom for aye we may depend :64
In life, in death, alike we flee,65
O Saviour of the world, to Thee.66