Chosen seed and Zion’s children,
Ransomed from eternal wrath,
Traveling to the heav’nly Canaan
On a rough and thorny path;
Church of God, in Christ elected,
Thou to God art reconciled,
But on earth thou art a stranger,
Persecuted and reviled. Still rejoice amid thy trials,
Nor regard thy lot amiss;
For the kind and loving Savior
Is the source of all thy bliss;
May He ever be thy portion,
He Who gave thee life and breath:
In His keeping fear no evil
Now or in the hour of death. Pleasantly thy lines have fallen
Underneath the tree of life:
For the Lord is thy salvation,
And thy shield in all thy strife:
Here the timid bird finds shelter,
Here the swallow finds a nest;
Trembling fugitive a refuge,
And the weary pilgrim rest. Faith and love are the conditions;
All on faith and love depends;
Love of law is the fulfillment,
Faith God’s mercy apprehends;
Who hath faith shall see salvation,
Who hath love shall life obtain.
May, O Lord, Thy love possess us,
And Thy Spirit in us reign. And upon this blest foundation,
Lord, our Lord and Savior King,
May Thy Spirit e’er unite us,
To it may we ever cling.
May we members of one body,
Grow into a perfect whole;
Grant, O Lord, that in Thy people,
There may be one heart and soul. |
