Words: , 1857.

Music: Eden (Bos­ton), Sac­red Hymns and Tunes (Bos­ton, Mass­a­chu­setts: 1880). Al­ter­nate tunes:

  • Matrimony, , in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1889
  • St. Al­phe­ge, , 1852
  • St. Edith, , 1799, & , 1871
  • Wedding Day, , 1895

This hymn was sung at the mar­ri­age of Lu­cy Maud Mont­gom­ery, au­thor of Anne of Green Ga­bles. It’s a good choice for wed­dings, and is still sung in mar­ri­age cer­e­mo­nies at Cav­en­dish, Prince Ed­ward Isl­and, in the house where Lu­cy Mont­gom­ery wed.

The voice that breathed o’er Eden, that earliest wedding day,
The primal wedding blessing, it hath not passed away.
Still in the pure espousal of Christian man and maid
The Holy Three are with us, the threefold grace is said.

[The following stanza is used only with 76.76 tunes such as Ma­tri­mo­ny, above]

For dower of blessèd children,
For love and faith’s sweet sake,
For high mysterious union
Which naught on earth may break.

Be present, awful Father, to give away this bride
As Thou gav’st Eve to Adam, a helpmate at his side.
Be present, Son of Mary, to join their loving hands
As Thou didst bind two natures in Thine eternal bands.

Be present, Holy Spirit, to bless them as they kneel,
As Thou for Christ, the Bridegroom, the heav’nly Spouse dost seal.
O spread Thy pure wing o’er them, let no ill power find place
When onward to Thine altar their hallowed path they trace.

To cast their crowns before Thee in perfect sacrifice,
Till to the home of gladness with Christ’s own Bride they rise.
To Father, Son, and Spirit, eternal One and Three,
And was and is forever, all praise and glory be.