Ancient and Modern ‎#447

447. Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face

1 Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face;
here would I touch and handle things unseen,
here grasp with firmer hand the eternal grace,
and all my weariness upon thee lean.

2 Here would I feed upon the bread of God,
here drink with thee the royal wine of heaven;
here would I lay aside each earthly load,
here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.

3 Mine is the sin, but thine the righteousness;
mine is the guilt, but thine the cleansing blood;
here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace —
thy blood, thy righteousness, O Lord, my God.

4 I have no help but thine; nor do I need
another arm save thine to lean upon;
it is enough, my Lord, enough indeed;
my strength is in thy might, thy might alone.

5 Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear;
the feast, though not the love, is past and gone;
the bread and wine remove, but thou art here,
nearer than ever, still our shield and sun.

6 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,
yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,
giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
the Lamb's great bridal feast of bliss and love.

Text Information

• First Line: Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face
• Author: Horatius N. Bonar (1808-1889)
• Meter: 10 10 10 10
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2013
• Scripture:
  1 Corinthians 11:23-26
  ;
  2 Corinthians 5:21
• Topic: Adoration; Atonement; Forgiveness; Future hope; Heaven; Holy Communion; Rest; Sin
• Notes: May also be sung to FARLEY CASTLE (314).

Tune Information

• Name: MAGDA
• Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
• Meter: 10 10 10 10
• Key: C Major
• Copyright: From The English Hymnal, 1906, Reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.