Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE MASTER'S INVITATION, by ANSON DAVIES FITZ RANDOLPH


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE MASTER'S INVITATION, by                    
First Line: Dear lord, thy table is outspread
Last Line: If thou but follow me!


DEAR Lord, thy table is outspread;
What other could such feast afford?
And thou art waiting at the head,
But I am all unworthy, Lord;
Yet do I hear thee say, --
(Was ever love so free?)
Come hither, son, to-day
And sit and sup with me.

O master! I am full of doubt,
My heart with sin and fear defiled;
Come thou, and cast the tempter out,
And make me as a little child;
Methinks I hear thee say, --
Come thou, at once, and see
What love can take away,
And what confer on thee.

My Lord! to thee I fain would go,
Yet tarry now I know not why;
Speak, if to tell what well I know,
That none are half so vile as I.
What do I hear thee say? --
Look, trembling one, and see
These tokens, which to-day
Tell what I did for thee.

May, Lord! I could not here forget
What thou didst for my ransom give;
The garden prayer, the bloody sweat,
All this and more, that I might live.
I hear thee sadly say, --
If this remembered be,
Why linger thus to-day?
Why doubt and question me?

Oh, love to angels all unknown!
I turn from sin and self aside;
Thou hast the idol self o'erthrown,
I only see the Crucified;
I only hear thee say, --
A feast is spread for thee
On this and every day,
If thou but follow me!





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