Sing Joyfully ‎#115

115. The Church's One Foundation

1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word:
From heav'n 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 o’er all the earth,
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,
With every grace endued.

3 Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed;
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

4 'Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

5 Yet she on earth hath union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.

Amen.

Text Information

• First Line: The Church's one foundation
• Title: The Church's One Foundation
• Author: Samuel J. Stone
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1989
• Topic: Church: Fellowship and Unity; Church: Militant and Trumphant

Tune Information

• Name: [The Church's one foundation]
• Composer: Samuel S. Wesley
• Key: E♭ Major