When God the patriarch Abr'am called

1 When God the Patriarch Abr'am called,
And chose him for his own;
"Abr'am, he said, behold thy God,
And own thyself my son.

2 "A gracious covenant now i make,
To give thee Canaan's rest:
From thee shall come a glorious seed,
To make the nations blest.

3 "This promise is to thee revealed
To raise thy hope and love;
By faith behold thy future son
Descending from above.

4 "Hear my command, nor dare transgress,
But own my right divine:
'Tis circumcision I ordain
To mark thy sons as mine.

5 "By this make known and seal thy faith,
Thy children give to God;
And learn the meaning of the rite,
Which points to purer blood."

6 Lord! may we come with Abr'am's faith,
To thee our infants give;
Accept our babes, impart the grace
Which makes young sinners live.

7 Thy covenant ever stands the same,
Sealed by a rite that's new
Baptized and marked, O Lord, as thine,
Now form their hearts anew.

The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799