Love unto Death; Love Immeasurable; Love Eternal.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Mechthild, of Magdeburg and Bevan, Frances
I rejoice that I cannot but love Him,
Because He first loved me;
I would that measureless, changeless,
My love might be;
A love unto death, and for ever;
For, soul, He died for thee.
Give thanks that for thee He delighted
To leave His glory on high;
For thee to be humbled, forsaken,
For thee to die.
Wilt thou render Him love for His loving?
Wilt thou die for Him who died?
And so, by thy living and dying,
Shall Christ be magnified.
And deep in the fiery stream that flows
From God’s high throne,
In the burning tide that for ever glows
Of the marvellous love unknown;
For ever, O soul, thou shalt burn and glow,
And thou shalt sing and say,
“I need no call at His feet to fall,
For I cannot turn away.
I am the captive led along
With the joy of His triumphal song;
In the depths of love do I live and move,
I joy to live or to die;
For I am borne on the tide of love
To all eternity:
The foolishness of the fool is this,
The sorrow sweeter than joy to miss.”
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