Appears in Philip Schaff’s Kirchenfreund, 1850, p. 176, Christ in Song, 1869, p. 20, and Alexander’s own Breaking Crucible, 1861, p. 11.

1. Lord, how shall I be meeting,
   And how shall I embrace
   Thee, earth’s desire, when greeting
   My soul’s adorning grace!
   O Jesus, Jesus holding
   Thyself the flame in sight,
   Show how, thy beam beholding,
   I may, my Lord, delight.

2. Fresh palms thy Zion streweth,
   And branches ever green,
   And psalms my voice reneweth,
   To raise my joy serene.
   Such budding tribute paying,
   My heart shall hymn thy praise,
   Thy holy name obeying
   With chiefest of my lays.

3. What hast thou left ungranted,
   To give me glad relief?
   When soul and body panted
   In utmost depth of grief,
   In hour of degradation,
   Thy peace and pity smiled,
   Then thou, my soul’s salvation,
   Didst happy make thy child.

4. I lay in slavish mourning,
   Thou cam’st to set me free;
   I sank in shame and scorning,
   Thou cam’st to comfort me.
   Thou raised’st me to glory,
   Bestowing highest good,
   Not frail and transitory,
   Like wealth on earth pursued.

5. Naught, naught did send thee speeding
   From mansions of the skies,
   But love all love exceeding,
   Love able to comprise
   A world in pangs despairing,
   Weighed down with thousand woes
   That tongue would fail declaring,
   But love doth last inclose.

6. Grave on your heart this writing,
   O band of mourners poor!
   With pains and sorrows fighting,
   That throng you more and more;
   Dismiss the fear that sickens,
   For lo! beside you see
   Him who your heart now quickens
   And comforts; here is he.

7. Why should you be detained
   In trouble day and night,
   As though he must be gained
   By arm of human might?
   He comes, he comes all willing,
   All full of grace and love.
   Those woes and troubles stilling,
   Well known to him above.

8. Nor need ye tremble over
   The guilt that gives distress.
   No! Jesus all will cover
   With grace and righteousness:
   He comes, he comes, procuring
   The peace of sin forgiven,
   To all God’s sons securing
   Their part and lot in heaven.

9. Why heed ye then the crying
   Of crafty foemen nigh?
   Your Lord shall send them flying
   In twinkling of an eye.
   He comes, he comes, forever
   A King, and earth’s fell band
   Shall prove in the endeavor
   Too feeble to withstand.

10. He comes to judge the nations,
    “Wroth if they wrathful prove,
    With sweet illuminations
    To those who seek and love.
    Come, come, O Sun eternal,
    And all our souls convey
    To endless bliss supernal,
    In yonder court of day.