139: THIS world is a wilderness wide

139: THIS world is a wilderness wide

by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)

1 THIS world is a wilderness wide;
We have nothing to seek or to choose;
We've no thought in the waste to abide;
We've nought to regret nor to lose.

2 The Lord is Himself gone before,
He has marked out the path that we tread;
It's as sure as the love we adore,
We have nothing to fear nor to dread.

3 There is but that one in the waste,
Which His footsteps have marked as His own;
And we follow in diligent haste
To the seats where He's put on His crown.

4 For the path where our Saviour is gone
Has led up to His Father and God,
To the place where He's now on the throne;
And His strength shall be ours on the road.

5 And with Him shall our rest be on high,
When in holiness bright we sit down,
In the joy of His love ever nigh,
In the peace that His presence shall crown.

6 'Tis the treasure we've found in His love,
That has made us now pilgrims below,
And 'tis there, when we reach Him above,
As we're known, all His fulness we'll know.

7 And, Saviour, 'tis Thee from on high,
We await till the time Thou shalt come,
To take those Thou hast led by Thine eye
To Thyself in Thy heavenly home.

8 Till then 'tis the path Thou hast trod,
Our delight and our comfort shall be;
We're content with Thy staff and Thy rod,
Till with Thee all Thy glory we see.