Wrestling Jacob

. 2 min read
1. Come, 0 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

7. 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. 

8. 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. 

9. 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. 

10. '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. 

11. 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. 

12. 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. 

13. The Sun of Righteousness on me 
 hath risen 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. 

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. 

A hymn by Charles Wesley, which we sang (only 4 verses) in worship. It tells the story of Jacob wrestling with God.