O Lord, how shall I meet you,
How wel-come you a-right?
Your peo-ple long to greet you,
My hope, my heart's de-light.
O kin-dle, Lord Most Ho-ly,
Your lamp with-in my breast
To do in spir-it low-ly
All that may please you best.
Love caused your in-car-na-tion,
Love brought you down to me;
Your thirst for my sal-va-tion
Pro-cured my lib-er-ty.
O love be-yond all tell-ing,
That led you to em-brace,
In love all love ex-cel-ling,
Our lost and fall-en race!
Re-joice, then, you sad-heart-ed,
Who sit in deep-est gloom,
Who mourn o'er joys de-part-ed
And trem-ble at your doom.
De-spair not, He is near you,
Yea, stand-ing at the door,
Who best can help and cheer you
And bids you weep no more.
Sin's debt, that fear-ful bur-den,
Let not your souls dis-tress;
Your guilt the Lord will par-don
And cov-er by His grace.
He comes, for men pro-cur-ing
The peace of sin for-given,
For all God's sons se-cur-ing
Their her-i-tage in heaven.