Friday, November 17, 2023

All of self and none of thee?

215 St. Jude. 8. 7. 8. 8. 7.

1 O the bitter shame and sorrow,
   That a time could ever be
   When I let the Saviour’s pity
   Plead in vain, and proudly answered:
   All of self, and none of Thee!

2 Yet He found me; I beheld Him
   Bleeding on the accursed tree,
   Heard Him pray, Forgive them, Father!
   And my wistful heart said faintly,
   Some of self, and some of Thee!

3 Day by day His tender mercy,
   Healing, helping, full and free,
   Sweet and strong, and, ah! so patient,
   Brought me lower, while I whispered:
   Less of self, and more of Thee!

4 Higher than the highest heaven,
   Deeper than the deepest sea,
   Lord, Thy love at last hath conquered;
   Grant me now my supplication,–
   None of self and all of Thee!
                         Theodore Monod
                        The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
According to this site, he was one of the early speakers at Keswick, an annual holiness conference in the late 1800s. The lyrics of this hymn would definitely align with that.
</idle musing>

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