The Church's one foundation

381 Aurelia. 7. 6. 7. 6. D.

1 The Church's one foundation
   Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
   She is His new creation
   By water and the word;
   From heav'n He came and sought her
   To be His holy bride;
   With His own blood He bought her,
   And for her life He died.

2 Elect from ev'ry nation,
   Yet one o'er all the earth,
   Her charter of salvation,
   One Lord, one faith, one birth;
   One holy name she blesses,
   Partakes one holy food,
   And to one hope she presses,
   With ev'ry grace endued.

3 'Mid toil and tribulation,
   And tumult of her war,
   She waits the consummation
   Of peace forevermore;
   Till with the vision glorious,
   Her longing eyes are blest,
   And the great Church victorious
   Shall be the Church at rest.

4 Yet she on earth hath union
   With God, the Three in One,
   And mystic sweet communion
   With those whose rest is won;
   O happy ones and holy!
   Lord, give us grace that we
   Like them, the meek and lowly,
   On high may dwell with Thee.
                         Samuel J. Stone
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
This was one of my favorite hymns growing up. I was surprised to discover that it isn't more popular, occurring in only 847 hymnals. As per usual, cyberhymnal has an abundance of extra verses:

3. The Church shall never perish!
   Her dear Lord to defend,
   To guide, sustain, and cherish,
   Is with her to the end:
   Though there be those who hate her,
   And false sons in her pale,
   Against both foe or traitor
   She ever shall prevail.

4. Though with a scornful wonder
   Men see her sore oppressed,
   By schisms rent asunder,
   By heresies distressed:
   Yet saints their watch are keeping,
   Their cry goes up, How long?
   And soon the night of weeping
   Shall be the morn of song!

And mixes parts of two other verses to create two different ones:

6. Yet she on earth hath union
   With God the Three in One,
   And mystic sweet communion
   With those whose rest is won,
   With all her sons and daughters
   Who, by the Master’s hand
   Led through the deathly waters,
   Repose in Eden land.

7. O happy ones and holy!
   Lord, give us grace that we
   Like them, the meek and lowly,
   On high may dwell with Thee:
   There, past the border mountains,
   Where in sweet vales the Bride
   With Thee by living fountains
   Forever shall abide!

</idle musing>