Of the glorious body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing.
And the blood, all price excelling,
Which the world’s eternal King,
In a noble womb once dwelling,
Shed for this world’s ransoming.

Given for us, for us descending,
Of a virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered He the Gospel seed,
Till His sojourn drew to ending,
Which He closed in glorious deed.

At the last great supper lying
Circled by His brethren’s band,
Meekly with the law complying,
First he finished the command,
Then, immortal food supplying,
Gave Himself with His own hand.

Word made flesh, by word He maketh
Very bread His flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ’s blood partaketh:
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.

Therefore we, before Him bending,
This great sacrament revere;
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing
To the Father, and the Son;
Honor, might, and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Ever too His love confessing,
Who, from both, with both is one.

’Twas on that dark, that doleful night
When powers of earth and hell arose
Against the Son of God’s delight,
And friends betrayed Him to His foes:

Before the mournful scene began,
He took the bread, and blessed, and brake:
What love through all His actions ran!
What wondrous words of grace He spake!

“This is My body, broke for sin;
Receive and eat the living food:”
Then took the cup, and blessed the wine;
“’Tis the new cov’nant in My blood.”

For us His flesh with nails was torn,
He bore the scourge, He felt the thorn;
And justice poured upon His head
Its heavy vengeance in our stead.

For us His vital blood was spilt,
To buy the pardon of our guilt,
When, for black crimes of biggest size,
He gave His soul a sacrifice.

“Do this,” He cried, “till time shall end,
In memory of your dying Friend;
Meet at My table, and record
The love of your departed Lord.”

Jesus, Thy feast we celebrate,
We show Thy death, we sing Thy Name,
Till Thou return, and we shall eat
The marriage supper of the Lamb.

’Twas on that night, when doomed to know
The eager rage of every foe,
That night in which He was betrayed,
The Savior of the world took bread.

And after thanks and glory giv’n
To Him that rules in earth and Heav’n,
That symbol of His flesh He broke,
And thus to all his foll’wers spoke:

“My broken body thus I give
For you, for all. Take, eat, and live.
And oft the sacred rite renew
That brings My saving love to view.”

Then in His hands the cup He raised,
And God anew He thanked and praised,
While kindness in His bosom glowed,
And from His lips salvation flowed.

“My blood I thus pour forth,” He cries,
“To cleanse the soul in sin that lies;
In this the covenant is sealed,
And heaven’s eternal grace revealed.

“With love to man this cup is fraught;
Let all partake the sacred draught;
Through latest ages let it pour,
In memory of My dying hour.”

Beneath the forms of outward rite
Thy supper, Lord, is spread
In every quiet upper room
Where fainting souls are fed.

The bread is always consecrate
Which men divide with men;
And every act of brotherhood
Repeats Thy feast again.

The blessèd cup is only passed,
True memory of Thee,
When life anew pours out its wine
With rich sufficiency.

O Master, through these symbols shared,
Thine own dear self impart,
That in our daily life may flame
The passion of Thy heart.

Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness,
Leave the gloomy haunts of sadness;
Come into the daylight’s splendor,
There with joy thy praises render
Unto Christ Whose grace unbounded
Hath this wondrous banquet founded.
Higher o’er all the heav’ns He reigneth,
Yet to dwell with thee He deigneth.

Hasten as a bride to meet Him
And with loving reverence greet Him;
For with words of life immortal
Now He knocketh at thy portal.
Haste to ope the gates before Him,
Saying, while thou dost adore Him,
Suffer, Lord, that I receive Thee,
And I nevermore will leave Thee.

He who craves a precious treasure
Neither cost nor pain will measure;
But the priceless gifts of heaven
God to us hath freely given.
Though the wealth of earth were offered,
Naught would buy the gifts here offered:
Christ’s true body, for thee riven,
And His blood, for thee once given.

Ah, how hungers all my spirit
For the love I do not merit!
Oft have I, with sighs fast thronging,
Thought upon this food with longing,
In the battle well nigh worsted,
For this cup of life have thirsted,
For the Friend Who here invites us
And to God Himself unites us.

In my heart I find ascending
Holy awe, with rapture blending,
As this mystery I ponder,
Filling all my soul with wonder,
Bearing witness at this hour
Of the greatness of God’s power;
Far beyond all human telling
Is the power within Him dwelling.

Human reason, though it ponder,
Cannot fathom this great wonder
That Christ’s body e’er remaineth
Though it countless souls sustaineth
And that He His blood is giving
With the wine we are receiving.
These great mysteries unsounded
Are by God alone expounded.

Sun, who all my life dost brighten,
Light, who dost my soul enlighten;
Joy the best that any knoweth;
Fount, whence all my being floweth;
At Thy feet I cry, my Maker,
Let me be a fit partaker
Of this blessèd food from heaven,
For our good, Thy glory, given.

Lord, by love and mercy driven
Thou hast left Thy throne in heaven
On the cross for me to languish
And to die in bitter anguish,
To forego all joy and gladness
And to shed Thy blood in sadness.
By this blood redeemed and living,
Lord, I praise Thee with thanksgiving.

Jesus, Bread of Life, I pray Thee,
Let me gladly here obey Thee.
By Thy love I am invited,
Be Thy love with love requited;
From this supper let me measure,
Lord, how vast and deep love’s treasure.
Through the gifts Thou here dost give me
As Thy guest in heaven receive me.

Draw nigh and take the body of the Lord;
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured.
Saved by that body and that holy blood,
With souls refreshed, we render thanks to God.

Salvation’s Giver, Christ, the only Son,
By His dear cross and blood the victory won.
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest.

Victims were offered by the law of old,
Which in a type this heavenly mystery told.
He, Ransomer from death, and Light from shade,
Now gives His holy grace His saints to aid.

Approach ye then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the safeguard of salvation here.
He, that His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields.

With heavenly bread makes them that hunger whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul,
Alpha and Omega, to Whom shall bow
All nations at the doom, is with us now.

“Till He come,” O let the words
Linger on the trembling chords,
Let the “little while” between
In their golden light be seen;
Let us think how Heaven and home
Lie beyond that, “Till He come.”

When the weary ones we love
Enter on their rest above,
Seems the earth so poor and vast,
All our life joy overcast?
Hush, be every murmur dumb;
It is only, “Till He come.”

Clouds and conflicts round us press;
Would we have one sorrow less?
All the sharpness of the cross,
All that tells the world is lost,
Death and darkness, and the tomb,
Only whisper, “Till He come.”

See, the feast of love is spread,
Drink the wine, and break the bread;
Sweet memorials, till the Lord
Calls us round His heavenly board;
Some from earth, from glory some
Severed only, “Till He come.”

A parting hymn we sing
Around Thy table, Lord,
Again our grateful tribute bring,
Our solemn vows record.

Here have we seen Thy face,
And felt Thy presence here;
So may the savor of Thy grace,
In word and life appear.

The purchase of Thy blood,
By sin no longer led,
The path our dear Redeemer trod
May we rejoicing tread.

In self forgetting love
Be our communion shown,
Until we join the Church above,
And know as we are known.

Invited, Lord, by boundless grace,
I stand a guest before Thy face;
As Host Thou spreadst no common food:
Here is Thy body and Thy blood.

How holy is this sacrament
Where pardon, peace, and life are spent!
This bread and cup my lips have pressed;
Thou blessedst, and my soul is blessed.

Now lettest Thou Thy guest depart
With full assurance in his heart.
For such communion, Lord, with Thee
A new life may my off’ring be.

When Thou shalt in Thy glory come
To gather all Thy people home,
Then let me, as Thy heav’nly guest,
In anthems praise Thee with the blest.

An awe-full mystery is here
To challenge faith and waken fear:
The Savior comes as food divine,
Concealed in earthly bread and wine.

This world is loveless—but above
What wondrous boundlessness of love!
The King of Glory stoops to me
My spirit’s life and strength to be.

In consecrated wine and bread
No eye perceives the mystery dread;
But Jesus’ words are strong and clear;
“My body and My blood are here.”

How dull are all the powers of sense
Employed on proofs of love immense!
The richest food remains unseen,
And highest gifts appear—how mean!

But here we have no boon on earth,
And faith alone discerns its worth.
The Word, not sense, must be our guide,
And faith assure since sight’s denied.

Lord, show us still that Thou art good
And grant us evermore this food.
Give faith to every wavering soul
And make each wounded spirit whole.