Text:The Marriage Hymn

XXVIII. The Marriage Hymn

1 Let Christ, the glorious Lover,
Have everlasting praise!
He comes for to discover,
The riches of his grace:
He courts a wretched sinner,
To be his loving bride;
Resolving for to win her,
And will not be deny'd.

2 When first he calls upon her,
Herself for to deny,
To cast away her honour,
And lay her peasures by;
To part with ev'ry notion,
That puffs her up with pride,
To take him for her portion,
And be his loving bride.

3 The offers he makes to her,
Is what she can't endure;
She thinks it will undo her,
To part with all her store;
She wilfully refuses,
To yield unto his will,
And in her heart she chooses,
Her former lover still.

4 She bolts the door upon him,
And bids her Lord depart,
No more will serve his honour,
Nor give to him her heart;
But Jesus loves the sinner,
And will not leave the door,
But cries, O, charming creature!
Reject my suit no more.

5 My love, my dove, my jewel,
Arise and let me in;
How can you be so cruel,
To bar your heart with sin;
If calls and invitations
Will not excite your love,
Prepare for condemnation,
For I will not remove.

6 He then displays his power,
By an almighty word,
And threatens to devour,
And shows his flaming sword:
She now begins to tremble
At what she sees and hears,
And feign she would be humble,
And wash her crimes with tears.

7 She does not yet discover
The filth of her inside,
But hopes the Lord will love her,
And take her for his bride:
But like refiners fire,
That searches ev'ry part;
Convictions rising higher,
She feels a wretched heart.

8 She now begins to languish,
There's none can her relieve;
Her heart is full of anguish,
To find she can't believe:
Her Saviour has departed,
And left her full of woe,
And being broken hearted,
She cries, What shall I do?

9 But Jesus has compassion
Still moving in his breast,
Intends to give salvation,
And ease the soul distrest:
One gleam or love and power,
Makes her forget her pain;
She cries, O happy hour!
Is Jesus come again!

10 If he whom I rejected,
Stoops down to me so low,
Good news, but unexpected—
It hardly can be true!
But still she cries more fervent,
Lord, don't thy mercy hide;
May I become a servant,
And fit to be a bride.

11 The marriage is made ready,
The parties are agreed;
The holy son of David,
And Adam's wicked seed;
The sinner is adorned
With raiment clean and white,
Her sins are freely pardon'd,
She is her Lord's delight.

12 They eat and drink together,
And mutually embrace;
Both Saints and Angels wonder
At this surprising grace:
This union shall continue,
For evermore the same,
And nothing part asunder,
The CHRISTIAN and the LAMB.

Text Information
First Line: Let Christ, the glorious lover
Title: The Marriage Hymn
Meter: Particular Metre
Language: English
Publication Date: 1793
Tune Information
(No tune information)



Suggestions or corrections? Contact us