10. Hymn: A Solitary Way

A Solitary Way

“There is a mystery in human hearts;
And though we may be encircled by a host
Of those who love us well and are beloved,
To every one of us from time to time
There comes a sense of utter loneliness.
Our dearest friend is ‘stranger’ to our joy,
And cannot realize our bitterness.
‘There is not one, who really understands,–
Not one to enter into all we feel;’
Such is the cry of each of us in turn.
We wander in a ‘solitary way,’
No matter what or where our lot may be;
Each heart, mysterious even to itself,
Must live its inner life in solitude.

And would you know the reason why this is?
It is because the Lord desires our love.
In every heart he wishes to be first;
He therefore keeps the secret key himself,
To open all its chambers, and to bless
With perfect sympathy and holy peace
Each solitary soul that comes to him.
So, when we feel this loneliness, it is
The voice of Jesus, saying, ‘Come to me;’
And every time we are ‘not understood,’
It is a call for us to come again,
For Christ alone can satisfy the soul;
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have a ‘solitary way.’

And when beneath some heavy cross you faint
And say, ‘I cannot bear this load alone,’
You say the truth. Christ made it purposely
So heavy that you must return to him.
The bitter grief which ‘no one understands,’
Conveys a secret message from the King,
Entreating you to come to him again.
The Man of Sorrows understands it well;
In all points tempted, he can feel with you.
You cannot come too often or too near.
The Son of God is infinite in grace;
His presence satisfies the longing soul;
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have a ‘solitary way.’”
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