Love-Feast

Part the First

Come, and let us sweetly join,

Christ to praise in hymns divine!

Give we all, with one accord,

Glory to our common Lord;

Hands, and hearts, and voices raise:

Sing as in the ancient days;

Antedate the joys above,

Celebrate the feast of love.

Strive we, in affection strive:

Let the purer flame revive;

Such as in the martyrs glow'd,

Dying champions for their God:

We like them may live and love;

Call'd we are their joys to prove;

Sav'd with them from future wrath;

Partners of like precious faith.

Sing we then in Jesu’ name,

Now as yesterday the same;

One in ev’ry time and place,

Full for all of truth and grace:

We for Christ our master stand,

Lights in a benighted land;

We our dying Lord confess;

We are Jesu’ witnesses.

Witnesses that Christ hath dy'd;

We with him are crycify'd:

Christ hath burst the bands of death:

We his quick'ning Spirit breathe;

Christ is now gone up on high;

Thither all our wishes fly:

Sits at God's right-hand above;

There with him we reign in love.