1 There came a man to Jesus,
And humbly sought eternal life,
He sought the grace that frees us,
From ev’ry sinful earthly strife,
The Lord in love drew near him,
And gently sought to make him free,
One thing thou lackest, merely,
Take up thy cross and follow me.

Refrain:
One thing thou lackest,
Only one;
One thing thou lackest,
To be free;
One thing thou lackest,
Only one;
Take up thy cross and follow me.

2 With fallen mien this stranger,
All sad at what he heard that day;
Went forth into the danger,
He thought that Christ would take away,
But Christ looked on in pity,
At that poor soul forever gone,
From God’s eternal city,
And left to fight the world alone. [Refrain]

3 Are you, the Saviour seeking,
That you may have eternal life?
O list, to you, he’s speaking
The words with pow’r and mercy rife,
He knows that you are weary,
Of ev’ry tempting earthly whim,
But list he tells you clearly,
Take up the cross and follow Him. [Refrain]