Scripture Verse

I have called you friends. John 15:15

Introduction

portrait
Carl O. Rosenius (1816–1868)

Words: Carl O. Ro­se­ni­us, 1851 (Med Gud och hans väns­kap), in the pa­per Pie­tist­en. Trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by C. R. Os­back, 1925; ap­peared in The Co­ve­nant Hym­nal (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Co­ve­nant Book Con­cern, 1931), num­ber 295.

Music: Ack, Saliga Stun­der Os­kar Ahn­felt, 1851 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Os­back’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Oskar Ahnfelt (1813–1882)

Lyrics

With God and His friend­ship, his Spir­it and Word,
With breth­ren par­tak­ing the bread of our Lord,
With cour­age and joy we will meet com­ing days:
The Shep­herd is with us, the Shep­herd is with us,
The dear, lov­ing Shep­herd, He guides all our ways.

In pe­ril­ous times, thro’ the gloom of the night,
A host march­es on through the dark­ness to light;
These pil­grims ob­scured, are dis­owned by the world,
But owned by the Mas­ter, but owned by the Mas­ter,
They march on to glo­ry, with ban­ners un­furled.

The Pil­lar that guides us thro’ dan­gers and strife,
The Rock that re­fresh­es with wa­ters of life,
Is Christ and His love and His soul cleans­ing blood:
Our soul’s life and glo­ry, our soul’s life and glo­ry,
In joys and in sor­rows with us He has stood.

O Je­sus! be with us, abide with us still,
And care for us, bear us, and teach us Thy Will.
Thy glo­ry, O Je­sus, Thou’llt soon let us see:
Praise, glo­ry, and hon­or, praise, glo­ry and hon­or,
Praise, glo­ry and hon­or, our Sav­ior, to Thee!