Scripture Verse

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19–20

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs, Book 1, 1707, num­ber 52, alt. Baptism.

Music: Lou­van Vir­gil C. Tay­lor, Cho­ral An­thems (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1850) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Tay­lor (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

’Twas the com­miss­ion of our Lord,
Go teach the na­tions, and bap­tize:
The na­tions have re­ceived the word
Since He as­cend­ed to the skies.

He sits up­on th’eter­nal hills,
With grace and par­don in His hands;
And sends His cov’nant with the seals,
To bless the dist­ant dark­ened lands.
[originally the dist­ant Brit­ish lands]

Repent, and be bap­tized, He saith,
For the re­mis­sion of your sins:
And thus our sense as­sists our faith,
And shows us what His Gos­pel means.

Our souls He wash­es in His blood,
As wa­ter makes the bo­dy clean;
And the good Spir­it from our God
Descends like pu­ri­fy­ing rain.

Thus we en­gage our­selves to Thee,
And seal our cov’nant with the Lord;
O may the great eter­nal Three
In Heav’n our so­lemn vows re­cord!