George Matheson (1842–1906)

GATHER us in, Thou Love that fillest all,

Gather our rival faiths within Thy fold,

Rend each man’s temple’s veil and bid it fall,

That we may know that Thou hast been of old;

Gather us in.

Gather us in: we worship only Thee;

In varied names we stretch a common hand;

In diverse forms a common soul we see;

In many ships we seek one spirit-land;

Gather us in.

Each sees one colour of Thy rainbow-light,

Each looks upon one tint and calls it heaven;

Thou art the fulness of our partial sight;

We are not perfect till we find the seven;

Gather us in.

Thine is the mystic lite great India craves,

Thine is the Parsee’s sin-destroying beam,

Thine is the Buddhist’s rest from tossing waves,

Thine is the empire of vast China’s dream;

Gather us in.

Thine is the Roman’s strength without his pride,

Thine is the Greek’s glad world without its graves,

Thine is Judæa’s law with love beside,

The truth that censures and the grace that saves;

Gather us in.

Some seek a Father in the heavens above,

Some ask a human image to adore,

Some crave a spirit vast as life and love:

Within Thy mansions we have all and more;

Gather us in.