p. 1 | As I Loved You by M. A. Davis

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 11, 1878

“As I Loved You.”

By M. A. Davis

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

“As I loved you.” Oh! love surpassing story Hath Christ bestowed on poor humanity. When the first man, erect in peerless glory, In Eden stood, 'mid all things bright and fair, The Giver loved him there.

And when, in depths of woe and grief unspoken, His rash ingratitude had plunged him low, The golden chord from earth to heaven broken, Christ, with a deeper love, that soul to save, Breasted death's chilling wave.

“As I loved you.” How oft his love untiring Hath watched and waited by the heart's dark door, And thou hast turned away, that love refusing, If Christ had wearied what had been thy fate? How blind! how desolate!

“As I loved you.” How oft hath Christ forgiven Thy wanderings, how often sought for thee; How oft thy heart against his love hath striven; To erring souls let thy compassion be As Christ's hath been to thee.

Oh! there are those around thee, thirsting, dying, For but one draught from Calvary's healing tide, Show them the way; thy life is swiftly flying; One hour, perchance, the pitying angels wait, The next, alas! too late.

Dost thou draw back lest thou defile thy raiment By contact with the world, polluted, vile? Is this, O faithless heart, thine only payment For that deep love that brought Christ down to die, From his bright home on high?

“As I loved you.” Oh tender, pleading Saviour, Let the deep love thou didst for us reveal Kindle our hearts with its own sacred fervor, Till it shall be our highest joy to win A dying soul from sin. M. A. Davis.