Duet for Al­to and Ten­or

A world in aw­ful dark­ness lay,
No ray of hope shone in;
And not a soul the price could pay
To can­cel earth’s dark sin.

All

No eye was found with pi­ty­ing love;
No arm to save the lost,
Till Je­sus came from realms ab­ove
To pay the fear­ful cost.

Duet

Within the sha­dow, dark and deep,
Of death dwelt all the race;
Fear in­to eve­ry heart did creep
While Mer­cy hid her face.

All

But when among the host ab­ove
Was heard the plead­ing cry,
For one to go to men in love,
Our Lord said, Here am I.

Duet

If Christ was will­ing thus to come
Down from His home on high—
To leave His Father’s glor­ious throne
For for­eign­ers to die—

All

Shall those who claim His own to be
Refuse to send the light
To for­eign lands across the sea
Long wrapped in shades of night?

Duet

Still ma­ny souls in dark­ness wait,
And still is heard the cry
From sin­ful ones outside the gates,
O save us, ere we die.

All

Then may the love of Christ in­spire
Our souls with sac­red zeal;
Till melt­ing hearts with ho­ly fire
Before His throne shall kneel.