| |
Battle Hymn of Church Defence
ROUND the Sacred City gather | |
| Egypt, Edom, Babylon; | |
| All the warring hosts of error, | |
| Sworn against her, are as one: | |
| Vain the leaguer! her foundations | 5 |
| Are upon the holy hills, | |
| And the love of the ETERNAL | |
| All her stately temple fills. | |
| |
| Get thee, watchman, to the rampart! | |
| Gird thee, warrior, with thy sword! | 10 |
| And be strong as ye remember | |
| In your midst is GOD the LORD: | |
| Like the night-mists from the valley, | |
| These shall vanish, one by one, | |
| Egypt’s malice, Edom’s envy, | 15 |
| And the hate of Babylon. | |
| |
| But be true, ye sons and daughters, | |
| Lest the peril be within; | |
| Watch to prayer, lest in your slumber | |
| Stealthy foemen enter in; | 20 |
| Safe the mother and the children | |
| If their will and love be strong, | |
| While their loyal hearts go singing | |
| Prayer and praise for battle-song. | |
| |
| Church of GOD! if we forget thee, | 25 |
| Let His blessing fail our hand; | |
| When our love shall not prefer thee, | |
| Let His love forget our land— | |
| Nay! our memory shall be steadfast | |
| Though in storm the mountains shake, | 30 |
| And our love is love for ever, | |
| For it is for JESUS’ sake. | |
| |
| Church of JESUS! His thy Banner | |
| And thy Banner’s awful Sign: | |
| By His passion and His glory | 35 |
| Thou art His and He is thine: | |
| From the Hill of His Redemption | |
| Flows thy sacramental tide: | |
| From the Hill of His Ascension | |
| Flows the grace of God thy Guide. | 40 |
| |
| Yea: thou Church of GOD the SPIRIT! | |
| His Society Divine, | |
| His the living Word thou keepest, | |
| His thy Apostolic line, | |
| Ancient prayer and song liturgic, | 45 |
| Creeds that change not to the end, | |
| As His gift we have received them, | |
| As His charge we will defend. | |
| |
| Alleluia, Alleluia, | |
| To the FATHER, SPIRIT, SON, | 50 |
| In Whose will the Church at warfare | |
| With the Church at rest is one: | |
| So to THEE we sing in union, | |
| GOD in earth and Heav’n adored, | |
| Alleluia, Alleluia, | 55 |
| Holy, Holy, Holy LORD. | |
| |
