Adventist Pioneer Library

The Church — Zeal and Union

Church of the ever-living God

  • No. 1019
  • Words Horatius Bonar.
  • 6 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

Church of the ever-living God,The Father's gracious choice,Amid the voices of this earthHow feeble is thy voice!

2

A little flock!—so called by HimWho bought thee with his blood;A little flock, disowned of men,But owned and loved of God.

3

Not many rich or noble ones,Not many great or wise;They whom God makes his kings and priestsAre poor in human eyes.

4

But the chief Shepherd comes at length,Their feeble days are o'er,No more a handful in the earth,A little flock no more.

5

No more a lily among thorns,Weary and faint and few;But countless as the stars of heaven,Or as the early dew.

6

Then entering the eternal hallsIn robes of victory,That mighty multitude shall keepThe joyous jubilee.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «1019» (large) in the left column of p. 349, below hymn 1018 (LUCIUS) and its «Anon.», with the reference line «175, 395, 208.» in italic figures beside it (sing to the tunes of hymns 175 DENFIELD, 395 BALERMA or 208 WINCHESTER, all C. M.; no meter is printed — the lines 8.6.8.6 are C. M.). Stanzas 1–4 stand in the left column; stanzas 5–6 continue at the head of the right column, above hymn 1020, and are followed by «Horatius Bonar.» in italics, right-aligned. Stanzas numbered «1»–«6» without periods (written «1.»–«6.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2 and 4 indented. The first word «CHURCH» is set in a capital and small capitals; written «Church». In stanza 3 the line «They whom God makes his kings and priests» is too long for the column: «priests» is printed alone on the next line, indented — joined here into one verse. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («voice !», «flock !», «blood ;», «wise ;», «few ;»); it is closed up here. The apostrophes of «Father's» and «o'er» are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals («Him») are the print's.

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Church — Zeal and Union · No. 1019 · printed page 349
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-02