Scripture Verse

He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19:4–6

Introduction

portrait
William Gaskell (1805–1884)

Words: Will­iam Gas­kell, in the Hymn and Tune Book (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1868).

Music: Pri­odas H. El­li­ot But­ton, 1889 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of But­ton (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

illustration
Wedding Ceremony

We join to pray, with wish­es kind,
A bless­ing, Lord, from Thee,
On those who now the bands have twined,
Which ne’er may brok­en be.

We know that scenes, not al­ways bright,
May un­to them be given;
But let there shine o’er all the light
Of love, and truth, and Hea­ven.

Still hand in hand, their jour­ney through,
Meek pil­grims may they go,
Mingling their joys as help­meets true,
And shar­ing ev­ery woe.

The Sav­ior, whom they trust, the same;
The same their home above;
May each in each still feed the flame
Of pure and ho­ly love.

And when the so­lemn hour shall come
Which se­vers earth­ly ties,
May hope rise bright­en­ing through the gloom,
And point to fair­er skies.