Author: Samuel J Stone 1839-1900
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
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 through all the earth;
her charter of salvation-
one Lord, one faith, one birth:
one holy name she blesses,
and shares one holy food;
as to one hope she presses
with every grace endued.
3. We see her long divided
by heresy and sect;
yet she by God is guided-
one people, one elect:
her vigil she is keeping,
her cry goes up, ‘How long?’
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the dawn of song.
4. In 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 blessed;
at last the church victorious
shall be the church at rest!
5. Yet she on earth has union
with those whose rest is won,
and shares in sweet communion
with God the Three-in-One,
whose love has made them holy!
Lord, grant to us your grace
with them, the meek and lowly,
in heaven to see your face.
Scriptures: Psalms 90:13, Psalms 17:15, Revelation 22:4, Psalms 89:46, Habakkuk 1:2, Matthew 5:8, Isaiah 11:4, John 16:33, Psalms 13:1-2, Isaiah 28:16, Psalms 117, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 18:7, Isaiah 61:1, Romans 8:33, 1 John 1:3, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Revelation 5:9, Psalms 30:5, Revelation 14:13, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 3:11, Matthew 5:5, 1 Peter 3:4, Acts 20:28, Galatians 6:15, Romans 12:12, Isaiah 62:5, Hosea 2:19, Mark 2:19-20, Luke 5:34-35, John 3:29, Ephesians 4:4-5, Ephesians 5:23-32, Psalms 6:3, Psalms 94:3, Jeremiah 12:4, Ezekiel 16:8-14, John 17:17-21, Acts 2:5, Romans 5:3, Romans 8:18-20, 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, 1 Corinthians 10:17, 1 Corinthians 11:18, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, 2 Corinthians 11:23-33, Colossians 3:12, Titus 1:1, 1 Peter 1:1-2, 1 Peter 5:13, 1 John 5:6, Revelation 6:10