The wond’ring world inquires to know
Why I should love my Jesus so:
“What are His charms,” say they, “above
The objects of a mortal love?”

Yes! my Belovèd, to my sight
Shows a sweet mixture, red and white:
All human beauties, all divine,
In my Belovèd meet and shine.

White is His soul, from blemish free;
Red with the blood He shed for me;
The fairest of ten thousand fairs;
A sun among ten thousand stars.

His head the finest gold excels;
There wisdom in perfection dwells,
And glory like a crown adorns
Those temples once beset with thorns.

Compassions in His heart are found,
Hard by the signals of His wound:
His sacred side no more shall bear
The cruel scourge, the piercing spear.

His hands are fairer to behold
Than diamonds set in rings of gold;
Those heav’nly hands, that on the tree
Were nailed, and torn, and bled for me!

Though once He bowed His feeble knees,
Loaded with sins and agonies,
Now on the throne of His command
His legs like marble pillars stand.

His eyes are majesty and love,
The eagle tempered with the dove;
No more shall trickling sorrows roll
Through those dear windows of His soul.

His mouth, that poured out long complaints,
Now smiles and cheers His fainting saints;
His countenance more graceful is
Than Lebanon with all its trees.

All over glorious is my Lord;
Must be beloved, and yet adored;
His worth if all the the nations knew,
Sure the whole earth would love Him, too.

The Saviour comes, no outward pomp,
Bespeaks His presence nigh;
No earthly beauty shines in Him,
To draw the carnal eye.

Refrain

All beauty may we ever see,
In God’s belovèd Son,
The chiefest of ten thousand He,
The only lovely One!

Rejected and despised of men,
Behold a man of woe!
Grief was His close companion here,
Through all His life below.

Refrain

Yet all the griefs He felt were ours,
Ours were the woes He bore;
Pangs not His own, His spotless soul,
With bitter anguish tore.

Refrain

We all like sheep had gone astray,
In ruin’s fatal road;
On Him were our transgressions laid;
He bore the mighty load.

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My soul’s best Friend, what joy and blessing
My spirit ever finds in Thee!
From gloomy depths of doubt distressing
Into Thine arms for rest I flee.
There will the night of sorrow vanish
When from my heart Thy love doth banish.
All anguish and all pain and fear.
Yea, here on earth begins my heaven;
Who would not joyful be when given
A loving Savior always near!

For though the evil world revile me
And prove herself my bitter foe
Or by her smile seek to beguile me,
I trust her not; her wiles I know.
In Thee alone my soul rejoices,
Thy praise alone it gladly voices,
For Thou art true when friendships flee.
The world may hate but cannot fell me;
Would mighty waves of trial quell me
I anchor in Thy loyalty.

Thro’ deserts of the cross Thou leadest;
I follow, leaning on Thy hand.
From out the cloud Thy child Thou feedest
And givest water from the sand.
I trust Thy ways, howe’er distressing;
For I know my path will end in blessing;
Enough that Thou wilt be my Stay.
For whom to honor Thou intendest
Oft into sorrow’s vale Thou sendest;
The night must e’er precede the day.

My soul’s best Friend, how well contented
Am I, reposing on Thy breast;
By sin no more am I tormented
Since Thou dost grant me peace and rest.
Oh, may the grace that Thou has given
For me a foretaste be of Heaven,
Where I shall bask in joys divine!
Away, vain world, with fleeting pleasures;
In Christ I have abiding treasures.
O, comfort sweet, my Friend is mine!

O God of loveliness, O Lord of Heaven above,
How worthy to possess my heart’s devoted love.
So sweet Thy countenance, so gracious to behold
That one, one only glance to me were bliss untold.

Thou art blest Three in One, yet undivided still,
Thou art the One alone, whose love my heart can fill.
The heav’ns and earth below were fashioned by Thy Word,
How amiable art Thou, my ever dearest Lord.

To think Thou art my God—O thought forever blest!
My heart has overflowed with joy within my breast.
My soul so full of bliss, is plunged as in a sea,
Deep in the sweet abyss of holy charity.

O Loveliness supreme, and Beauty infinite,
O ever flowing Stream and Ocean of delight,
O Life by which I live, my truest Life above,
To Thee alone I give my undivided love.