Long did I toil

Henry Francis Lyte 1793 (Ednam) – 1847 (Nice)



Long did I toil, and knew no earthly rest,
Far did I rove, and found no certain home;
At last I sought them in His sheltering breast,
Who opes His arms, and bids the weary come:
With Him I found a home, a rest divine,
And since then I am His, and He is mine.

The good I have is from His stores supplied,
The ill is only what He deems the best;
He for my Friend, I’m rich with naught beside,
And poor without Him, though of all possessed:
Changes may come, I take, or I resign,
Content, while I am His, while He is mine.

Whate’er may change, in Him no change is seen,
A glorious Sun that wanes not nor declines;
Above the clouds and storms He walks serene,
And on His people’s inward darkness shines:
All may depart—I fret not, nor repine,
While I my Savior’s am, while He is mine.

While here, alas! I know but half His love,
But half discern Him, and but half adore;
But when I meet Him in the realms above,
I hope to love Him better, praise Him more,
And feel, and tell, amid the choir divine,
How fully I am His, and He is mine.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:02 min read
43

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXAXBB CACABB DEDEBB FGFGBB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,025
Words 209
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6

Henry Francis Lyte

Henry Francis Lyte was an Anglican divine, hymnodist, and poet.  more…

All Henry Francis Lyte poems | Henry Francis Lyte Books

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