Poems (Gifford)/"He Touched Him"
"HE TOUCHED HIM."(Luke v. 13.)
Lord, didst Thou touch him?—that polluted oneFrom whom all others shrank as from a curseWhose very sight defiled them! Thou mightst speakAnd make the leper whole; but yet Thy love,Thy tender pity prompted Thee to touchThe loathsome object, and at once the plagueDeparted from him, and a new, sweet lifeThrobbed in his veins, and he was filled with joy.
Lord, didst Thou touch us? knowing as Thou didstNo health was in us; but from head to footDeep wounds and bruises, putrefying soresMade us all loathsome in Thy holy sight!Didst Thou assume the nature that our guiltHad so defiled, that Thou mightst win the rightTo cleanse us and restore us unto life!Yea, didst Thou take our sin upon Thyself,And bear our curse, avert our fearful doom,And give us ground for hope! And dost Thou nowExtend Thy healing touch to all who askOf Thee for pardon, purity, and peace?Dost Thou send forth Thy Spirit in their heartsCalling God, Abba, Father? Are they thenHeirs of His Kingdom, fellow-heirs with Thee?
Oh miracle of grace, 'tis even so!Such wondrous love is Thine, such wondrous power,Thou canst, Thou wilt, thus bless! Ah, yes, we knowIf one be standing in our midst to-dayBemoaning that foul leprosy whose curseHas tainted every scion of our race,Thou, Lord, art also here with still the powerAnd still the will to touch him and to heal.Touch him, oh Lord, touch him and make him whole,Restore him to Thine image, and bestow The thousand joys that follow in the trainOf that first, best of blessings. Ay, and thoseWhom once Th hand hath touched oh touch againAnd yet again when fresh plague spots appear,Purge out all evil, Lord, from every one,That washed and purified by Thine own handWe may be meet to dwell in Thine own heaven.
And grant that we a lesson, too, may learnFrom Thy great condescension. Now, so oftIt is Thy purpose that Thy servants beThe bearers of Thy messages of loveTo those who ask for healing at Thy hand.This honour, then, this privilege we seek;We would do good, we would devote to TheeThe strength of all our life, we would go forthWith the glad tidings of Thy saving graceTo those uncertain of Thy light and love.Let us then learn from Thee, who stooped so low,To lay aside all thought of pride or scorn,To love the outcast, and to lay our handIn soothing tenderness upon His arm,And seek to draw him unto Thee, that Thou,The Great Physician, mayst put forth Thy hand,And touch, and make him whole.