Thou Say’st, “Take Up Thy Cross”

Thou say’st

Take up thy cross

O man

and fol­low Me;

The night is black

the feet are slack

Yet we would fol­low Thee.

But O dear Lord

we cry

That we Thy face could see!

Thy bless­èd face one mo­ment’s space—

Then might we fol­low Thee!

Dim tracts of time di­vide

Those gold­en days from me;

Thy voice comes strange o’er years of change;

How can I follow Thee?

Comes faint and far Thy voice

From vales of Ga­li­lee;

Thy vi­sion fades in an­cient shades;

How should we fol­low Thee?

O hea­vy cross—of faith

In what we can­not see!

As once of yore Thy­self re­store

And help to fol­low Thee.

If not as once Thou cam’st

In true hu­man­ity

Come yet as Guest with­in the breast

That burns to fol­low Thee.

Within our hearts of hearts

In near­est near­ness be:

Set up Thy throne with­in Thine own;

Go

Lord: We fol­low Thee.