Christ — Life and Character

We may not climb the heavenly steeps

No. 312
Metre C. M.
Tune INVITATION.
Words John G. Whittier.
Music William V. Wallace.
Key E major
Singing key D major
Time 2/2
5 stanzas

Words

We may not climb the heavenly steepsTo bring the Saviour down;In vain we search the lowest deeps,For him no depths can drown.

But warm, sweet, tender, even yetA present help is he;And faith has yet its Olivet,And love its Galilee.

The healing of the seamless dressIs by our beds of pain;We touch him in life's throng and press,And we are whole again.

Through him the first fond prayers are saidOur lips of childhood frame;The last low whispers of our deadAre burdened with his name.

O Lord and Master of us all,Whate'er our name or sign,We own thy sway, we hear thy call,We test our lives by thine!

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «CHRIST—LIFE AND CHARACTER.»; hymn number «312» (large), tune name «INVITATION. C. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «WILLIAM V. WALLACE.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «We» («heaven-ly» with a closed hyphen, «Sav - iour» and «low - est» with spaced hyphens under the notes). Stanzas 2–3 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the reference line «201, 27, 147.» in italics (= may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 201, 27 or 147); stanzas 4–5 in the right column. The text stanzas are numbered «2», «3», «4», «5» without a period. «John G. Whittier.» in italics after stanza 5. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («he ;», «pain ;», «thine !»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophes are written straight («life's», «Whate'er»). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's («Saviour», «Olivet», «Galilee»). Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print.