How couldst thou rest, my heart,
Away from Him who loveth thee ?
Ah, sad thy lot
If thou couldst here content thyself
Where He is not.
Nay, if I know my heart,
No rest from Him apart.
This could not be our rest,
Where sin, and death, and sorrow stand
In dread array,
Where sickness, suffering, and heartache
Still hold their sway
And ply their silent quest,
We do not, cannot rest.
This is no place of rest,
Where Christ was hunted to His death,
Nailed to a cross.
In this poor sin-cursed earth there is
No rest for us.
'Tis but too manifest
Earth offereth no rest.
Nay 'tis no place to rest
Where thousands have been slain, for love
Of Him who died.
There's rest reserved for us, through Christ
Once crucified.
In Him alone we're blest;
With Him alone is rest.
What! rest among the dead,
Who seek to please themselves alone-
How could it be ? To live for Him who died for us,
Thus only we
May eat the Living Bread,
And live by Christ our Head.
No, this is not our rest;
We're only pilgrims, passing through.
We wait and serve
The Lord who's coming soon, and so
We would not swerve.
His path for us is best,
Who seek a better rest.
Not of the world, ah no!
Yet in it we would honor Him
Who bled and died
For love of us, our souls to win.
Though often tried,
"Tis well with us, we know,
For He would have it so.
We labor here-not rest.
'Tis sweet to know we shall behold
His gracious smile.
'Tis joy to work with Christ our Lord
The little while,
And soon we shall be blest
With Him we have confessed.
For there remains a rest
For those He has redeemed from sin.
We soon shall see
The hands that once were pierced for us;
We soon shall be
With Him, for aye at rest
Upon His faithful breast.
No rest on land or sea:
On earth the battles ceaseless roar-
The fruit of sin;
And sea and air afford no place
To hide within-
No hiding place can be
But, blessed Lord, in Thee,
Then here I rest and hide:
I know the coming judgment-storm
Will pass me by,
Because Thou art safe, then so am I
Eternally.
And here I shall abide
Close sheltered in Thy side.
H. McD.