Nearer

Oh Jesus, draw nearer,

And make Thyself dearer,

I yearn, I am yearning for Thee;

Come take for Thy dwelling,

The heart that is swelling

With longings Thy beauty to see!

How languid and weary,

How lonely and dreary,

The days when Thou hidest Thy face;

How sorrow and sadness

Are turned into gladness,

By a glimpse of its love and its grace.

Come nearer, come nearer,

And make Thyself dearer,

Thou joy, thou delight of my heart.

Close, close to Thee pressing

I long for Thy blessing,

I cannot without it depart.

~ Golden Hours, Heart-Hymns of the Christian Life, 1873