I do not fear the greatness of thy command-- To keep heart-open-house to brother men; But till in thy God's love perfect I stand, My door not wide enough will open. Then Each man will be love-awful in my sight; And, open to the eternal morning's might, Each human face will shine my window for thy light. 13. Make me all patience and all diligence; Patience, that thou mayst have thy time with me; Diligence, that I waste not thy expense In sending out to bring me home to thee. What though thy work in me transcends my sense-- Too fine, too high, for me to understand-- I hope entirely. On, Lord, with thy labour grand. 14. Lest I be humbled at the last, and told That my great labour was but for my peace That not for love or truth had I been bold, But merely for a prisoned heart's release; Careful, I humble me now before thy feet: Whate'er I be, I cry, and will not cease-- Let me not perish, though favour be not meet. 15. For, what I seek thou knowest I must find, Or miserably die for lack of love. I justify thee: what is in thy mind, If it be shame to me, all shame above. Thou know'st I choose it--know'st I would not shove The hand away that stripped me for the rod-- If so it pleased my Life, my love-made-angry God. 16. I see a door, a multitude near by, In creed and quarrel, sure disciples all! Gladly they would, they say, enter the hall, But cannot, the stone threshold is so high. From unseen hand, full many a feeding crumb, Slow dropping o'er the threshold high doth come: They gather and eat, with much disputing hum. 17. Still and anon, a loud clear voice doth call-- "Make your feet clean, and enter so the hall." They hear, they stoop, they gather each a crumb. Oh the deaf people! would they were also dumb! Hear how they talk, and lack of Christ deplore, Stamping with muddy feet about the door, And will not wipe them clean to walk upon his floor! 18. But see, one comes; he listens to the voice; Careful he wipes his weary dusty feet! The voice hath spoken--to him is left no choice; He hurries to obey--that only is meet. Low sinks the threshold, levelled with the ground; The man leaps in--to liberty he's bound. The rest go talking, walking, picking round. 19. If I, thus writing, rebuke my neighbour dull, And talk, and write, and enter not the door, Than all the rest I wrong Christ tenfold more, Making his gift of vision void and null. Help me this day to be thy humble sheep, Eating thy grass, and following, thou before; From wolfish lies my life, O Shepherd, keep. 20.