Nay, I Cannot Let Thee Go

Nay

I can­not let Thee go

Till a bless­ing Thou be­stow:

Do not turn away Thy face

Mine’s an ur­gent

press­ing case.

Dost Thou ask me who I am?

Ah! my Lord

Thou know’st my name!

Yet the quest­ion gives a plea

To sup­port my suit with Thee.

Thou didst once a wretch be­hold

In re­bel­lion blind­ly bold;

Scorn Thy grace

Thy pow­er de­fy

That poor re­bel

Lord

was I.

Once a sin­ner

near des­pair

Sought Thy mer­cy seat by pray­er;

Mercy heard

and set him free

Lord

that mer­cy came to me.

Many days have passed since then

Many chang­es I have seen;

Yet have been up­held till now;

Who could hold me up but Thou?

Thou hast helped in ev­ery need;

This em­bold­ens me to plead;

After so much mer­cy past

Canst Thou let me sink at last?

No—I must main­tain my hold

’Tis Thy good­ness makes me bold;

I can no de­ni­al take

When I plead for Je­su’s sake.