Oh! quickly spoken, quickly traced,
Too quickly from the thought effaced!
Three little words — so short and few,
You learn them almost at the view:
But, can you tell the depth divine
That lies within this little line?
That there the hidden well-springs lie,
Of heaven’s eternal treasury?
Oh! seek my loved one, for the grace,
To feel the truth which here you trace;
‘Tis God’s own word, and he alone
Can make its meaning truly known;
But since he tells you HE IS LOVE,
You need but ask, and you shall prove
The deep bright joy of knowing him,
Which turns all other brightness dim:
A joy which, though begun on earth,
Will need eternity to tell its worth.
M. A. T.