Scripture Verse

There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. John 2:1

Introduction

portrait
John Codman
(1782–1847)

Words: John Cod­man, Hymns for Fa­mi­ly Wor­ship (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Sam­uel T. Arm­strong, print­er, 1813), num­ber 116.

Music: Si­ci­ly Si­ci­li­an tune (🔊 pdf nwc). This is an abridged ver­sion of Si­cil­ian Mar­in­ers.

Lyrics

Come, Thou con­des­cend­ing Je­sus!
Thou hast blessed a mar­riage feast;
Come, and with Thy pre­sence bless us,
Deign to be an hon­ored guest.

Once, at Ca­na’s hap­py vil­lage,
Thou didst heav’n­ly joy im­part;
Though un­seen, may Thy blest im­age
Be in­scribed on ev­ery heart.

Lord, we come to ask Thy bless­ing
On the hap­py pair to rest.
Make Thy good­ness, ne­ver ceas­ing,
Make them now and ev­er blest.

Thou canst change the course of na­ture,
Turning wa­ter in­to wine,
But we ask a great­er fa­vor,
May they be ev­er Thine.

Thine by co­ve­nant and adopt­ion,
Thine by free and so­ver­eign grace,
May they by each word and act­ion
Do Thy will, and speak Thy praise.

Gracious Lord, from Thy free boun­ty,
Fill their bas­ket and their store;
Give them with their health and plen­ty,
Hearts Thy good­ness to adore.

Often from their hap­py dwell­ing,
May the voice of pray­er as­cend,
For Thy mer­cies still in­creas­ing,
To their best, their kind­est friend.

Through this life’s tem­pes­tu­ous ocean
Storms are thick, and dan­gers nigh;
O may con­stant, pure de­vo­tion,
Guide them safe to realms on high.

When by death’s cold hand di­vid­ed,
Which dis­solves the ten­der­est ties,
By Thy grace again unit­ed,
May they in Thine im­age rise.

Come, Thou con­des­cend­ing Je­sus,
Fill our hearts with songs of praise;
Come and with Thy pre­sence bless us,
Make us sub­jects of Thy grace.

illustration
Turning Water to Wine
Carl H. Bloch (1834–1890)