The Hound Of Heaven

Chapter I - Pursuit

Chapter II - Flight into the Carnal

I run to fly before this phantom o'er my soul

He comes in every thought and dream that I behold

I hide between the seams of other people's lives

I drown myself in finer things, to escape His eyes

My fear, fear knew not how to hide

As love, His love knew its pursuit

All these things betray thee, Thou who betrayest Me

Veiled in luxury to clothe the void inside

Afraid that having Him excludes all else beside

I flee from dawn to dusk and back to break of day

Drowning my heart in any lust to come my way

My fear, fear knew not how to hide

As love, His love knew its pursuit

The Hound of Heaven on my trail

His steady pace, unhurried chase

Unchanging, never slowing

The Hound of Heaven will not fail

Nothing shall now shelter thee, Thou who will not shelter Me

Chapter III - Flight into the Noble

So I turn, hiding not in my lust, nature's secrets I trust

To bring me contentment I crave

As I learn, from every great poet's mind, philosophies to unwind

Life's great mysteries, my self to save

Still I seek, in the noblest of arts, from the purest of hearts

Some romancer, to quiet my soul

All is bleak, empty tears from my eyes, wash away the disguise

Of false answers, that can't make me whole

The Hound of Heaven on my trail

His steady pace, unhurried chase; unchanging, never slowing

The Hound of Heaven will not fail

No thing will ever satisfy thee, Thou who is not satisfied in Me

Chapter IV - Confrontation

My soul laid bare, my heart naked and uncovered

My armor ripped asunder by Your hand

Stricken down to my knees, I am utterly defenseless

Nothing I can do to change Your master plan

Now the strength of my youth, impaled on vain pursuits

A corpse upon the heap of earthly lies

My days have burned and blown like smoke before the storm

Dreams fade and song has left this bard forevermore

Your bloom of amarthine love won't stand aside

Brings doom burns all to ash, demolishing my pride

The throne of my heart, in judgment ground to dust

Must dimly guess the purpose of Your time

War horns split the air, sounding forth from heaven's fortress

Shrouded in the mist of the Divine

Then I glimpse eternity, and hear holy decree

As mist veils that great bastion once again

Now before the King, enthroned in majesty

Now I know His name, and what the horn calls mean

That my heart or my life is forfeit to His throne

That one must die: My self or my sin alone

The Hound of Heaven at my heels

His steady pace, unhurried chase, steadily pursuing

The hound of Heaven will not yield

All these things will run from thee, Thou who tries to fly from Me

Chapter V - Rebuke

At the end of the pursuit, finally caught up by that brute

His voice comes crashing down like thund'ring seas

Why should love set you apart? There's no good in your blackened heart

I AM the only One to bring forth life!

Human loves needs human merit, yours is stained a filthy scarlet

You've no clue of how unworthy that you are!

Who can you find, who will love you as I? Coming down from on high

To pursue you, your dead heart to raise

All your life, all the idols you chased, as I took them away

To protect you, by omniscient grace

Like a child, you cannot comprehend, my eternal plan

To redeem you, now come follow Me!

Foolish man that I am is the shadow I've been fleeing

Just the shade of His benevolence?

You fondest blindest weakest

I AM the joy that thou seekest!

You wasted life in senseless flight

Foolish man who tries to hide from me!

Chapter VI - Death and Resurrection

Chapter VII - Restoration

The Hound of Heaven snared my soul

His steady pace, unhurried chase, is always overcoming

The hound of Heaven made me whole

He took apart my wayward heart, just to resurrect me

The Hound of Heaven on the throne

His steady pace and matchless grace, is always overwhelming

The hound of Heaven brought me home

Only He can make a way, for me to stand before the King