V. THE CHURCH

The Church Militant

6.6.6.6.8.8

463

ONE

NE sole baptismal sign,
One Lord, below, above,

One faith, one hope divine,

One only watchword, Love:

From different temples though it rise,
One song ascendeth to the skies.

2 Our sacrifice is one,

One Priest before the throne.

The slain, the risen Son,

Redeemer, Lord alone!

And sighs from contrite hearts that spring, Our chief, our choicest offering.

3 Head of thy Church beneath, The catholic, the true,

On all her members breathe,

Her broken frame renew!

Then shall thy perfect will be done,
When Christians love and live as one.

Amen.

George Robinson, 1842

464

HE Church's one foundation

THE

Is Jesus Christ her Lord;

She is his new creation

By water and the word:

7.6.7.6 D.

From heaven he came and sought her

To be his holy bride;

With his own blood he bought her,

And for her life he died.

2 Elect 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.

3 Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore opprest,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distrest;

Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

4 'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

5 Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!

Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with thee.

Amen.

Samuel J. Stone, 1868

465

WE

Four 6's

WE love the place, O God,
Wherein thine honour dwells;

The joy of thine abode

All other joy excels.

2 We love the house of prayer,
Wherein thy servants meet;
For thou, O Lord, art there
Thy chosen ones to greet.

3 We love the sacred font,
Wherein the holy Dove
Bestows, as ever wont,

His blessing from above.

4 We love thine altar, Lord,
Its mysteries revere;
For there, in faith adored,
We find thy presence near.

5 We love thy holy word,

The lamp thou gav'st to guide
All wanderers home, O Lord,
Home to their Father's side.

6 Then let us sing the love
To us so freely given,

Until we sing above

The triumph song of heaven! Amen.

466

William Bullock, 1854, alt.

Four 10's

ISE, crowned with light, imperial
Salem, rise!

Exalt thy towering head and lift thine eyes!
See heaven its sparkling portals wide
display,

And break upon thee in a flood of day.

2 See a long race thy spacious courts adorn: See future sons, and daughters yet unborn, In crowding ranks on every side arise, Demanding life, impatient for the skies. 3 See barbarous nations at thy gates attend, Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend: See thy bright altars thronged with prostrate kings,

While every land its joyous tribute brings. 4 The seas shall waste, the skies to smoke decay,

Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away;

But fixed his word, his saving power remains;

Thy realms shall last, thy own Messiah

reigns.

467

PLE

Alexander Pope, 1712

Eight 7's

LEASANT are thy courts above,
In the land of light and love;

Pleasant are thy courts below,
In this land of sin and woe.
O my spirit longs and faints
For the converse of thy saints,
For the brightness of thy face,
For thy fullness, God of grace!

2 Happy birds that sing and fly
Round thy altars, O Most High!
Happier souls that find a rest
In a heavenly Father's breast!
Like the wandering dove, that found
No repose on earth around,
They can to their ark repair
And enjoy it ever there.

3 Happy souls! their praises flow Ever in this vale of woe;

Waters in the desert rise,

Manna feeds them from the skies:
On they go from strength to strength
Till they reach thy throne at length,
At thy feet adoring fall,

Who hast led them safe through all.

4 Lord, be mine this prize to win;
Guide me through a world of sin;
Keep me by thy saving grace;
Give me at thy side a place.
Sun and shield alike thou art;
Guide and guard my erring heart.
Grace and glory flow from thee;

Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me!

Amen.

Henry F. Lyte, 1884; Psalm 84

468

G

8.7.8.7 D.

LORIOUS things of thee are spoken,
Sion, city of our God;

He whose word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for his own abode;
On the Rock of Ages founded,

What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

2 See, the streams of living waters
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
Ever will their thirst assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.