Author: Charles Wesley Hymnal: The United Methodist Hymnal #387 (1989) Scripture: Genesis 32:24-32 Lyrics: Come, O thou Traveler unknown,
whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
and I am left alone with thee;
with thee all night I mean to stay
and wrestle till the break of day.
I need not tell thee who I am,
my misery and sin declare;
thyself hast called me by my name,
look on thy hands, and read it there.
But who, I ask thee, who art thou?
Tell me thy name, and tell me now.
In vain thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold;
art yhou the man that died for me?
The secret of thy love unfold;
wrestling, I will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.
Wilt thou not yet to me reveal
thy new, unutterable name?
Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell,
to know it now resolved I am;
wrestling, I will not let thee go,
till I thy name, thy nature know.
’Tis all in vain to hold thy tongue
or touch the hollow of my thigh;
though every sinew be unstrung,
out of my arms thou shalt not fly;
wrestling I will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.
What though my shrinking flesh complain,
and murmur to contend so long?
I rise superior to my pain:
when I am weak then I am strong,
and when my all of strength shall fail
I shall with the God-man prevail.
My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath thy weighty hand,
faint to revive, and fall to rise;
I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand and will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.
Yield to me now -- for I am weak,
but confident in self-despair!
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak,
be conquered by my instant prayer:
speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
and tell me if thy name is Love.
’Tis Love! ’tis Love! thou diedst for me,
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
pure, Universal Love thou art;
to me, to all, thy mercies move --
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
My prayer hath power with God; the grace
unspeakable I now receive;
through faith I see thee face to face,
I see thee face to face, and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove--
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
I know thee, Savior, who thou art,
Jesus, the feeble sinner’s friend;
nor wilt thou with the night depart.
but stay and love me to the end:
thy mercies never shall remove,
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
The Sun of Righteousness on me
hath rose with healing in his wings:
withered my nature’s strength; from thee
my soul its life and succor brings;
my help is all laid up above;
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
Contented now upon my thigh
I halt, till life’s short journey end;
all helplessness, all weakness I
on thee alone for strength depend;
nor have I power from thee to move:
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
Lame as I am, I take the prey,
hell, earth, and sin, with ease overcome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
and as a bounding hart fly home,
through all eternity to prove
thy nature, and thy name is Love.
Topics: The Glory of the Triune God God's Nature; The Glory of the Triune God God's Nature; Prevenient Grace Repentance; Sanctifiying and Perfecting Grace Rebirth and the New Creation; Aldersgate; Biblical Narrative; Christian Experience; Faith; Grace; Love; Mercy; Pilgrimage Languages: English
Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown
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