Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Church’s One Foundation

Hymn lyrics by Samuel J. Stone,
Music by Samuel S. Wesley
Verse 1
  • The Church’s one foundation
  • Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
  • She is His new creation
  • By water and the Word.
  • From heav’n He came and sought her
  • To be His holy bride;
  • With His own blood He bought her
  • And for her life He died.
Verse 2
  • She is from every nation,
  • Yet one o’er all the earth;
  • Her charter of salvation,
  • One Lord, one faith, one birth;
  • One holy Name she blesses,
  • Partakes one holy food,
  • And to one hope she presses,
  • With every grace endued.
Verse 3
  • The Church shall never perish!
  • Her dear Lord to defend,
  • To guide, sustain, and cherish,
  • Is with her to the end:
  • Though there be those who hate her,
  • And false sons in her pale,
  • Against both foe or traitor
  • She ever shall prevail.
Verse 4
  • Though with a scornful wonder
  • Men see her sore oppressed,
  • By schisms rent asunder,
  • By heresies distressed:
  • Yet saints their watch are keeping,
  • Their cry goes up, “How long?”
  • And soon the night of weeping
  • Shall be the morn of song!
Verse 5
  • ’Mid toil and tribulation,
  • And tumult of her war,
  • She waits the consummation
  • Of peace forevermore;
  • Till, with the vision glorious,
  • Her longing eyes are blest,
  • And the great Church victorious
  • Shall be the Church at rest.
Verse 6
  • Yet she on earth hath union
  • With God the Three in One,
  • And mystic sweet communion
  • With those whose rest is won,
  • With all her sons and daughters
  • Who, by the Master’s hand
  • Led through the deathly waters,
  • Repose in Eden land.
Verse 7
  • O happy ones and holy!
  • Lord, give us grace that we
  • Like them, the meek and lowly,
  • On high may dwell with Thee:
  • There, past the border mountains,
  • Where in sweet vales the Bride
  • With Thee by living fountains
  • Forever shall abide!