THE CHURCH’S one Foundation | |
| Is JESUS CHRIST her Lord: | |
| She is His new creation | |
| By water and the Word; | |
| From heaven He came and sought her | 5 |
| To be His holy Bride, | |
| With His own Blood He bought her, | |
| And for her life He died. | |
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| Elect from every nation, | |
| Yet one o’er all the earth, | 10 |
| 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, | 15 |
| With every grace endued. | |
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| The Church shall never perish! | |
| Her dear LORD to defend, | |
| To guide, sustain, and cherish, | |
| Is with her to the end: | 20 |
| Though there be those who hate her, | |
| And false sons in her pale, | |
| Against or foe or traitor | |
| She ever shall prevail. | |
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| Though with a scornful wonder | 25 |
| Men see her sore opprest, | |
| By schisms rent asunder, | |
| By heresies distrest; | |
| Yet saints their watch are keeping, | |
| Their cry goes up “How long?” | 30 |
| And soon the night of weeping | |
| Shall be the morn of song. | |
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| ’Mid toil and tribulation, | |
| And tumult of her war, | |
| She waits the consummation | 35 |
| 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. | 40 |
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| Yet she on earth hath union | |
| With FATHER, SPIRIT, SON, | |
| And mystic sweet communion | |
| With those whose rest is won: | |
| With all her sons and daughters, | 45 |
| Who, by the Master’s Hand | |
| Led through the deathly waters, | |
| Repose in Eden-Land. | |
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| Oh, happy ones and holy! | |
| LORD, give us grace that we | 50 |
| 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 | 55 |
| For ever shall abide. | |
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