Communion

1. How sweet and holy is the place, where Christ sits down to dine;
    While everlasting love displays her finest bread and wine.
Here ev’ry mercy of our God, in soft compassion calls:
    “Here’s peace and pardon bought with blood, and food for dying souls.”

2. How did my heart rejoice to hear my friends devoutly say,
    “In Zion let us all appear, and keep the solemn day!”
I love her gates, I love the road! The church adorn’d with grace,
    Stands like a palace built for God, to show His milder face.

3. Up to her courts, with joys unknown, the holy tribes repair;
    The Son of David holds His throne, and sits in judgment there.
He hears our praises and complaints; and while His solemn voice
    Divides the sinners from the saints, we tremble and rejoice!

4. Peace be within this sacred place, and joy a constant guest!
    With holy gifts and heav’nly grace, be her attendants blest.
My soul shall pray for Zion still, while life or breath remains;
    Here my best friends, my kindred dwell, here God, my Saviour reigns.

Playback

Instrumental – Sampled Sounds

Group – from North America

Download
MP3 – Group (from North America)

The first verse of this communion hymn is from anonymous early American sources. The next three verses are from Isaac Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 122. The tune is early American.

The unity of the church, a unity of “thought, feeling, and action” was one of the great works that Jesus Christ accomplished during His life on earth. Jesus prayed, during His last great intercessory prayer, “that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11).

This unity is essential if the church is to reveal God to the world, for all heaven is in unity, and the Father and Son work together in perfect harmony. So we may expect that the last work that Jesus will do in His church on earth is to unite her once again with the unity she had at the day of Pentecost. The work of the gospel will not close with less glory than it began.