Scripture Verse

The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One. John 17:22

Introduction

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John Chadwick (1840–1904)

Words: John W. Chad­wick, 1864. Ap­peared in A Book of Po­ems, by John White Chad­wick (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ro­berts Bro­thers, 1876), pag­es 181–82. Writ­ten for my di­vin­ity school gra­du­ation.

Music: Song 1 (Gib­bons) Or­lan­do Gib­bons, 1623 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Orlando Gibbons
(1583–1625)

Lyrics

Eternal Rul­er of the cease­less round
Of circ­ling plan­ets sing­ing on their way,
Guide of the na­tions from the night pro­found
Into the glo­ry of the per­fect day;
Rule in our hearts, that we may ev­er be
Guided, and strength­ened, and up­held by Thee.

We are of Thee, the child­ren of Thy love,
The bro­thers of Thy well be­lov­èd Son;
Descend, O Ho­ly Spir­it, like a dove,
Into our hearts, that we may be as one;
As one with Thee, to whom we ev­er tend;
As one with Him our bro­ther and our friend.

We would be one in hat­red of all wrong,
One in our love of all things sweet and fair;
One with the joy that break­eth in­to song,
One with the grief that tremb­leth in­to pray­er,
One in the pow­er that makes Thy child­ren free
To fol­low truth, and thus to fol­low Thee.

O clothe us with Thy heav­en­ly ar­mor, Lord!
Thy trus­ty shield, Thy sword of love di­vine;
Our in­spir­ation be Thy con­stant Word,
We ask no vic­to­ries that are not Thine;
Give or with­hold, let pain or plea­sure be,
Enough to know that we are serv­ing Thee.