Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown

Verse 1

Come, O thou Traveler unknown,
whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,

and I am left alone with thee;
with thee all night I mean to stay
and wrestle till the break of day.

Verse 2

I need not tell thee who I am,
my misery and sin declare;
thyself hast called me by my name,

look on thy hands, and read it there.
But who, I ask thee, who art thou?
Tell me thy name, and tell me now.

Verse 3

In vain thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold;
art thou the man that died for me?

The secret of thy love unfold;
wrestling, I will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.

Verse 4

Wilt thou not yet to me reveal
thy new, unutterable name?
Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell,

to know it now resolved I am;
wrestling, I will not let thee go,
till I thy name, thy nature know.

Verse 5

'Tis all in vain to hold thy tongue
or touch the hollow of my thigh;
though every sinew be unstrung,

out of my arms thou shalt not fly;
wrestling I will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.

Verse 6

What though my shrinking flesh complain,
and murmur to contend so long?
I rise superior to my pain:

when I am weak then I am strong,
and when my all of strength shall fail
I shall with the God-man prevail.

Verse 7

My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath thy weighty hand,
faint to revive, and fall to rise;

I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand and will not let thee go
till I thy name, thy nature know.

Verse 8

Yield to me now—for I am weak
but confident in self-despair!
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak,
be conquered by my instant prayer:
speak, or thou never hence shalt move,
and tell me if thy name is Love.

Verse 9

'Tis Love! 'tis Love! thou diedst for me,
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,

pure, Universal Love thou art;
to me, to all, thy mercies move --
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Verse 10

My prayer hath power with God; the grace
unspeakable I now receive;
through faith I see thee face to face,

I see thee face to face, and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove--
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Verse 11

I know thee, Savior, who thou art,
Jesus, the feeble sinner's friend;
nor wilt thou with the night depart.

but stay and love me to the end:
thy mercies never shall remove,
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Verse 12

The Sun of Righteousness on me
hath rose with healing in his wings:
withered my nature's strength; from thee

my soul its life and succor brings;
my help is all laid up above;
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Verse 13

Contented now upon my thigh
I halt, till life's short journey end;
all helplessness, all weakness I

on thee alone for strength depend;
nor have I power from thee to move:
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Verse 14

Lame as I am, I take the prey,
hell, earth, and sin, with ease overcome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,

and as a bounding hart fly home,
through all eternity to prove
thy nature, and thy name is Love.