Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
Christ Church
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
all to leave and follow thee;
naked, poor, despised, forsaken,
thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish ev’ry fond ambition,
all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
yet how rich is my condition,
God and heav’n are still my own!
Man may trouble and distress me –
’twill but drive me to thy breast;
life with trials hard may press me;
heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
O ’tis not in grief to harm me,
while thy love is left to me;
O ’twere not in joy to charm me,
were that joy unmixed with thee.
So then know thy full salvation,
rise o’er sin and fear and care;
joy to find in ev’ry station
something still to do or bear;
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
think what Father’s smiles are thine;
think that Jesus died to win thee –
child of heav’n, canst thou repine?
Haste thee on from grace to glory,
armed by faith and winged by prayer;
heav’n’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
soon shall pass thy pilgrim’s days;
hope shall change to glad fruition,
faith to sight and prayer to praise.