“Forever with the Lord!”
Amen, so let it be!
Life from His death is in that word
’Tis immortality.
Here in the body pent,
Absent from Him I roam,
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent
A day’s march nearer home

My Father’s house on high,
Home of my soul, how near
At times to faith’s foreseeing eye
Thy golden gates appear!
Ah! then my spirit faints
To reach the land I love,
The bright inheritance of saints,
Jerusalem above.

Yet clouds will intervene,
And all my prospect flies;
Like Noah’s dove, I flit between
Rough seas and stormy skies.
Anon the clouds depart,
The winds and waters cease,
While sweetly o’er my gladdened heart
Expands the bow of peace.

I hear at morn and even,
At noon and midnight hour,
The choral harmonies of Heaven
Earth’s Babel tongues o’erpower;
Then, then I feel that He,
Remembered or forgot,
The Lord, is never far from me,
Though I perceive Him not.

“Forever with the Lord!”
Forever in His will,
The promise of that faithful word,
Lord, here in me fulfill.
With You at my right hand,
Then I shall never fail;
Uphold me, Lord, and I shall stand,
Through grace I will prevail.

So when my latest breath
Breaks through the veil of pain,
By death I shall escape from death,
And life eternal gain.
That resurrection word,
That shout of victory:
Once more, “Forever with the Lord!”
Amen, so let it be!

Thou, true and only God, lead’st forth
Th’immortal armies of the sky;
Thou laugh’st to scorn the gods of earth,
Thou thunderest, and amazed they fly.

With downcast eye th’angelic choir
Appear before Thy awful face;
Trembling they strike the golden lyre,
And through Heav’n’s vault resound Thy praise,

In earth, in Heaven, in all Thou art;
The conscious creature feels Thy nod,
Whose forming hand on every part
Impressed the image of its God.

Thine, Lord, is wisdom, Thine alone;
Justice and truth before Thee stand;
Yet, nearer to Thy sacred throne,
Mercy withholds Thy lifted hand.

Each evening shows Thy tender love,
Each rising morn Thy plenteous grace
Thy wakened wrath doth slowly move,
Thy willing mercy flies apace.

To Thy benign indulgent care,
Father, this light, this breath we owe;
And all we have, and all we are,
From Thee, great Source of being, flow.

Parent of good, Thy bounteous hand
Incessant blessings down distils,
And all in air, or sea, or land,
With plenteous food and gladness fills.

All things in Thee live, move, and are,
Thy power infused doth all sustain;
E’en those Thy daily favors share
Who thankless spurn Thy easy reign.

Thy sun Thou bidd’st his genial ray
Alike on all impartial pour;
To all, who hate or bless Thy sway,
Thou bidd’st descend the fruitful shower.

Yet, while at length who scorned Thy might
Shall feel Thee a consuming fire,
How sweet the joys, the crown how bright,
Of those who to Thy love aspire!

All creatures, praise th’eternal Name!
Ye hosts that to His court belong,
Cherubic choirs, seraphic flames,
Awake the everlasting song!

Thrice Holy! Thine the kingdom is,
The power omnipotent is Thine,
And when created nature dies,
Thy never-ceasing glories shine.

We believe in one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Ever present help in need, praised by all the heavenly host;
By Whose mighty power alone all is made and wrought and done.

We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary’s Son,
Who descended from His throne and for us salvation won;
By Whose cross and death are we rescued from sin’s misery.

We confess the Holy Ghost, who from both forever proceeds;
Who upholds and comforts us in all trials, fears and needs.
Blessed and Holy Trinity, praise forever be to Thee!

In one true God we all believe,
And to His Name all glory give,
Creator of all things is He
In the Heav’n, the earth, the sea.

We all believe in God’s own Son,
Our Lord, the sole begotten One;
And by the Holy Ghost the same
Of a virgin man became.

By Pontius Pilate crucified,
He suffered on the tree and died;
To show of Satan’s reign the end,
He did into hell descend.

The same Lord Christ of Nazareth
Who for all sinners tasted death
The third day after He had died
Rose with body glorified.

In full accord with God’s own Word
This holy body of our Lord,
Although in death’s firm grasp it be,
Never would corruption see.

He then ascended into Heaven,
Where endless power to Him was given;
And there for us in all our needs
Graciously He intercedes.

From thence He’ll come, as once He said
To judge the living and the dead.
O righteous Judge, our Savior, come,
Take us to our heavenly home!

We all confess the Holy Ghost,
Who guides the Church, a chosen host,
And binds the saints in purest love
Here on earth and there above.

And to this truth we also cleave,
That we forgiveness do receive,
True peace and joy and comfort sweet,
Daily from the Paraclete.

From death our bodies shall arise
To endless life beyond the skies;
By grace through Jesus we shall rest
There in Heaven, forever blest.