Scripture Verse

The Lord shall endure for ever. Psalm 9:7

Introduction

portrait
Frederick L. Hosmer
1840–1929

Words: Fred­er­ick L. Hos­mer, 1890, alt. This hymn was writ­ten for the fift­ie­th an­ni­ver­sa­ry of the Se­cond Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church in Quin­cy, Il­li­nois.

Music: St. Ste­phen Will­iam Jones, 1789 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
William Jones
1726–1800
© National Portrait Gallery

Lyrics

O Light, from age to age the same,
O ever living Word,
Here have we felt Thy kindling flame,
Thy voice within have heard.

Here holy thought and hymn and prayer
Have winged the Spirit’s powers,
And made these walls divinely fair,
Thy temple, Lord, and ours.

O not in vain their toil who wrought
To build faith’s freer shrine;
Nor theirs whose steadfast love and thought
Have watched the fire divine.

Burn, holy Fire, and shine more wide!
While nations rise and fall,
Faith, hope, and charity abide,
The heart and soul of all.