Lord, not to us, we claim it not

1 Lord, not to us, we claim it not,
To Thee be all the praise,
That no profane and sinful spot
Our mother church o'erlays:
That, as in her primeval days,
From intermediate stain
Cleansed by Thy Word, to Thee she pays
Unsullied rites again.

2 To no material form confined,
A spirit pure alone,
We serve Thee not in likeness shrined
Of bread, or wood, or stone:
Nor saint nor angel at Thy throne
We crave to intercede,
With Thee for our misdeeds atone,
With Thee for mercy plead.

3 But far remote we seek Thy face,
Hid in Thy heavenly seat:
And, sole Transmitter of Thy grace,
The Saviour's Name entreat:
And thus to Thee with honor meet
We hymn the grateful lay,
Whose Word recalled our erring feet,
And warned us how to pray.

4 To Thee, adored in ages past,
Eternal One and Three,
To Thee, whose worship aye shall last,
In trinal Unity:
To Thee, O Father; Son, to Thee;
And Thee, O Spirit blest,
By saints on earth all glory be
With saints in heaven addrest!


Source: Church Book: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran congregations #273