Song lyrics to Jesus, I my cross have taken, by Henry Francis Lyte (1825)
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:14
1 Jesus, I my cross have taken,
all to leave and follow thee;
destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Perish ev’ry fond ambition,
all I’ve sought or hoped or known;
yet how rich is my condition,
God and heav’n are still my own.
2 Let the world despise and leave me,
they have left my Savior too;
human hearts and looks deceive me;
thou art not, like man, untrue;
and, while thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
foes may hate and friends may shun me;
show thy face, and all is bright.
3 Man may trouble and distress me,
’twill but drive me to thy breast;
life with trials hard may press me,
heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
O ’tis not in grief to harm me
while thy love is left to me;
O ’twere not in joy to charm me,
were that joy unmixed with thee.
4 Take, my soul, thy full salvation,
rise o’er sin and fear and care;
joy to find in ev’ry station
something still to do or bear;
think what Spirit dwells within thee,
what a Father’s smile is thine,
what a Savior died to win thee:
child of heav’n, shouldst thou repine?
5 Hasten on from grace to glory,
armed by faith and winged by prayer;
heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
hope soon change to glad fruition,
faith to sight, and prayer to praise.