Scripture Verse

That they all may be one. John 17:21

Introduction

Words: John W. Hew­ett, Vers­es by a Coun­try Cur­ate 1859, alt.

Music: Old 44th Psalmes, 1556 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

What time the ev­en­ing sha­dows fall
Around the Church on earth,
When dark­er forms of doubt ap­pall,
And new false lights have birth;
Then clos­er should her faith­ful band
For truth to­ge­ther hold,
Hell’s last de­vic­es to with­stand,
And safe­ly guard her fold.

O Fa­ther, in that hour of fear,
Thy Church on earth do keep,
Thine al­tar to the last to rear,
And feed Thy faint­ing sheep;
May she the ho­ly truths at­test
Apostles taught of yore,
Nor quit the faith by saints con­fessed,
Though tempt­ed ne’er so sore.

O Christ, who for Thy flock didst pray
That all might be as one,
Unite us all ere fades the day,
Thou sole be­got­ten Son;
The East, the West, to­ge­ther bind
In love’s un­brok­en chain;
Give each one hope, one heart, one mind,
One glo­ry, and one gain.

O Spi­rit, Lord of light and life,
The Church with strength re­new,
Compose the an­gry voice of strife,
All jea­lou­sies sub­due;
Do Thou in ev­er quick­en­ing streams
Upon Thy saints des­cend,
And warm them with re­viv­ing beams,
And guide them to the end.

Great Three in One, great One in Three,
Our hymns of pray­er re­ceive,
And teach us all from sin to flee,
And live as we be­lieve;
So, pure in faith, our thoughts and speech,
And acts that faith shall own;
So shall we to Thy pre­sence reach,
And know as we are known.