ELHB Hymn 442
The voice that breathed o'er Eden
John Keble (1857)
Hymn Text
442. The voice that breathed o'er Eden
Text and metadata are organized from Hymnary’s ELHB index pages and ELHL1918 instance pages.
1 The voice that breathed o’er Eden,
That earliest wedding day,
The primal wedding blessing,--
It hath not passed away.
That earliest wedding day,
The primal wedding blessing,--
It hath not passed away.
2 Still in the pure espousal
Of Christian man and maid,
The Holy Thee are with us,
The threefold grace is said.
Of Christian man and maid,
The Holy Thee are with us,
The threefold grace is said.
3 Be present, loving Father,
To give away this bride,
As Eve Thou gav'st to Adam
Out of His own pierced side.
To give away this bride,
As Eve Thou gav'st to Adam
Out of His own pierced side.
4 Be present, Son of Mary,
To join their loving hands,
As Thou didst bind two natures
In Thine eternal bands.
To join their loving hands,
As Thou didst bind two natures
In Thine eternal bands.
5 Be present, Holiest Spirit,
To bless them as they kneel,
As Thou for Christ, the Bridegroom,
The heavenly spouse dost seal.
To bless them as they kneel,
As Thou for Christ, the Bridegroom,
The heavenly spouse dost seal.
6 O spread Thy pure wings o’er them,
Let no ill power find place,
When onward to Thine altar
Their hallowed path they trace.
Let no ill power find place,
When onward to Thine altar
Their hallowed path they trace.
7 To cast their crowns before Thee
In perfect sacrifice,
Till to the home of gladness
With Christ’s own Bride they rise.
In perfect sacrifice,
Till to the home of gladness
With Christ’s own Bride they rise.
Source noted on Hymnary: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #442