Christina Rossetti — A Bruised Reed Shall He Not Break.

I will accept thy will to do and be,          Thy hatred and intolerance of sin, Thy will at least to love, that burns within          And thirsteth after Me: So will I render fruitful, blessing still          The germs and small beginnings in thy heart,          Because thy will cleaves to the better part.--                  Alas, I cannot will. Dost not thou will, poor soul? Yet I receive          The inner unseen longings of the soul;          I guide them turning towards Me; I control          And charm hearts till they grieve: If thou desire, it yet shall come to pass,          Though thou but wish indeed to choose My love;          For I have power in earth and heaven above.--                  I cannot wish, alas! What, neither choose nor wish to choose? and yet          I still must strive to win thee and constrain:          For thee I hung upon the cross in pain,                  How then can I forget? If thou as yet dost neither love, nor hate,          Nor choose, nor wish,--resign thyself, be still          Till I infuse love, hatred, longing, will.--                  I do not deprecate.