Blessèd City, Heavenly Salem

Blessèd ci­ty

heav­en­ly Sa­lem

Vision dear of peace and love

Who of liv­ing stones art build­ed

In the heights of Heav­en ab­ove

And

with an­gel host en­cir­cled

As a bride to earth dost move.

From ce­les­tial realms des­cend­ing

Bridal glo­ry round thee shed

Meet for Him whose love es­poused thee

To thy Lord shalt thou be led;

All thy streets and all thy bul­warks

Of pure gold are fa­shion­èd.

Bright with pearls her por­tals glit­ter

They are op­en ev­er­more;

And

by vir­tue of His mer­its

Thither faith­ful souls may soar

Who for Christ’s dear name in this world

Pain and tri­bu­la­tion bore.

Many a blow and bit­ing sculp­ture

Fashioned well those stones elect

In their plac­es now com­pact­ed

By the heav­en­ly Ar­chi­tect

Who there­with hath willed for­ev­er

That his pal­ace should be decked.

Grant that all Thy faith­ful peo­ple

May Thy tru­er tem­ple be;

Neither flesh

nor soul

nor Spir­it

Know ano­ther Lord than Thee;

But to Thee once de­di­cat­ed

Serve Thee ev­er last­ing­ly.

Come Thou now

and be among us

Lord and Mak­er

while we pray;

Let Thy pre­sence fill the tem­ple

Which we de­di­cate to­day

And Thy­self

as con­se­crat­or

Dwell with­in its walls al­ways.

Glory to thy roy­al Bride­groom

Salem

sing re­joic­ing­ly;

He

thy Lord

thy light

thy tem­ple

Dwelleth ev­er more with thee;

His be bless­ing and thanks­giv­ing

Now and to eter­ni­ty.