The Cyber Hymnal ‎#6948

6948. Thou, the Christ Forever One

1. Thou, the Christ forever one,
Mary’s child and Israel’s God,
Daniel’s prince and David’s son,
Jacob’s star and Jesse’s rod,
Thou of whom of the prophets spake,
Thou in whom their words came true,
Hear the pleading prayer we make,
Hear the Gentile for the Jew!

2. Knowing what the Spirit saith,
Sure of Thee, our Christ divine,
Lo, we stand, by right of faith,
Heirs of Abraham’s chartered line;
Can we then his sons forget,
Branches severed from their tree,
Exiles from their homes, and yet
Kinsmen, Lord, in flesh to Thee?

3. Though the blood betrayed and spilt,
On the race entailed a doom,
Let its virtue cleanse the guilt,
Melt the hardness, chase the gloom;
Lift the veil from off their heart,
Make them Israelites indeed,
Meet once more for lot and part
With Thy household’s genuine seed.

4. Thou that didst Thy dews outpour,
Crowning alien grafts with fruit,
Soon the native growths restore,
Making glad the parent root:
Ah! but let not pride ensnare
Souls that need to mourn their sin;
Still the boughs adopted spare,
And the outcasts—graft them in!

5. Speed the day of union sweet
When with us in faith allied,
Israel’s heart shall turn to greet
Thee, whom Israel crucified;
Thee, in all Thy truth and grace,
Owned at last as Salem’s king,
While her children find their place,
Gathered safe beneath Thy wing.

Text Information

• First Line: Thou, the Christ forever one
• Title: Thou, the Christ Forever One
• Author: William Bright (1889)
• Meter: 77.77 D
• Language: English
• Source: Supplemental Hymns to Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1889
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tune: SALZBURG, Jakob Hintze, 1678

Tune Information

• Name: CULFORD
• Composer: Edward John Hopkins, 1818-1901
• Meter: 77.77 D
• Incipit: 33551 15665 64333
• Key: C Major
• Source: The Temple Church's Choral Service, 1867
• Copyright: Public Domain