Skip to main content

Song Study 10: THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION



STUDY  (10) THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION
The author, Samuel John Stone, was born in Staffordshire UK in 1839.  In 1874, he succeeded his father as vicar of St. Paul's, Haggerston. In 1890 he became rector of All Hallows-on-the-Wall in London. St. Paul's Haggerston was in a poor section of London.  
Stone would open the 
church at 6:30 in the morning so that 
commuters, frequently poor working girls, arriving 
early could have a brief service and prayer, then have 
time to rest, to read or to sew. He built numerous 
churches; his belief was that poor people deserved 
beautiful churches in which to worship. His 
thoughtfulness earned him the title of "the poor 
man's pastor". Source: "The Center for Church Music."

Samuel Wesley, composer of the tune Aurelia, to which the hymn is usually sung. Famous in his lifetime as one of his country's leading organists and choirmasters, he composed almost exclusively for the Church of England, which continues to cherish his memory. Source: Wikipedia

This is another 19th century hymn. It is full of difficult terms and concepts, allusions to 
Scripture etc. Nevertheless it is worth attempting to 
come to terms with this great old hymn, still sung in 
many churches today because of the marvellous 
message it brings - the relationship of Christ with theHis Church. See Colossians 1: 18.

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word;
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride,
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation—
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, ‘How long?’
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

’Mid toil, and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forever more;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
Play this video: The Church's One Foundation.
Verse 1
(a) “one foundation”: See 1 Corinthians 3:11
(b) line 3. Why “She”?
(c)  “New creation” See 2 Corinthians 5:17. What was the old creation? See Romans 11:7, Philippians 3:3. Perhaps the idea is that Israel is the “old creation” and the Church the new one.
(d) “water and the word”. See Ephesians 5:25-27, which is one of the key passages which might throw some light on what this expression means.
(e) “to be His holy bride”. See Revelation 19: 6-9.
(f) “bought her”. See Acts 20:28, Revelation 5:9.
(g) “for her life he died”.  See John 10:11.

Verse 2
(a) Understanding the words: elect, charter, partakes, grace, endued.
(b) “Elect from every nation”.  See Revelation 5:9 and 14:6.
(c) “one Lord, one faith, one birth”.  See Ephesians 4:3-6.
(d) “holy food”.  See Matthew 4:1-4.
(e) “With every grace endued”. See 1 Corinthians 12:27-28, Romans 12:6-8.

Verse 3
(a) Understanding the words: scornful, sore, schisms, rent, asunder, heresies, distressed, saints, watch, morn.
(b) Much of this verse is more a statement of fact than based on actual Scriptures, however see Matthew 25:13, Revelation 6:9-11 and Psalm 30:5.

Verse 4
(a) Understanding the words: ‘Mid, toil, tribulation, tumult, consummation.
(b) What is the “vision glorious” the writer refers to?
(c) “Peace for evermore”.  Starting when? See Revelation 21:3-4.

Verse 5
(a) Understanding the words: union, mystic, communion, meek.
This is a difficult verse to understand.
(b) “hath union” See John 17:20-23.
(c) “mystic sweet communion”. I can’t find this idea in Scripture at all and it sounds rather heretical to me. Perhaps the writer is thinking of Hebrews 12:18-24.
(d) “meek and lowly”. See Matthew 5:3-10.

Click here    Songs of Praise. 3 verses only

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SONG STUDY (1) INTRODUCTION - BIBLE STUDIES BASED ON HYMNS AND SONGS The words in most hymns and Christian songs often contain quotes from the Bible and these are frequently taken from the King James (Authorised) translation. Because of changes in word meanings since the seventeenth century, modern singers frequently have only a vague understanding of what the song writer meant. Even songs being written today use difficult words and ideas. There is a tendency to use what may be called "Christian jargon", which may be meaningful to some and meaningless to others. Stuart Townend (1963 -) It is assumed that the reader has a copy of the Bible on hand. There are many modern translations around; the writer uses the NIV (New International Version). Isaac Watts 1674-1748 The studies in this blog series have been used at the Glen Innes and Lithgow Baptist churches in NSW, Australia. Feel free to copy (and adapt) for your own personal use or for group study. https://johnsblue...
SONG STUDY 2: LIST OF ALL BLOGS 20th October 2024:  30  JESUS WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME 16th October 2024: 29 Love Divine All Loves Excelling 14th October 2024: 28 The Old Rugged Cross 14th October 2024: 27 In Christ Alone 12th October 2024: 26 Stand Up! Stand Up for Jesus 10th October 2024: 25 Trust and Obey 19th July 2024: 24   FROM HEAVEN YOU CAME (THE SERVANT KING)   6th July 2024: 23 CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY 5th July 2024: 22 AND CAN IT BE 1st July 2024: 21    HOLY GROUND 28th June 2024:  20  THESE ARE THE DAYS OF ELIJAH   23rd February 2022: 19  JESUS LOVES ME 17th December 2021: 18  GUIDE ME O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH 29th November 2021 : 17   THERE IS A REDEEMER 10th November 2021: 16  AS THE DEER PANTS 19th June 2021:  15   ANCIENT OF DAYS 13th  June 2021: 14  JESUS LOVER OF MY SOUL 13th June 2021:  13  LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG 12th June 2021 :   12  MEEKNESS AND MAJESTY 23...

Song Study 13: Let the Weak Say I am Strong

          Song Study ( 13)   LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG            ( WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE IN ME) Reuben Morgan         What The Lord Has Done In Me - Hillsong Worship - YouTube                                                                   Let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich, Let the blind say I can see, It’s what the Lord has done in me. (Repeat)   Hosanna, hosanna To the Lamb that was slain; Hosanna, hosanna, Jesus died and rose again. (Jesus died and rose again. Jesus died and rose again.)  Third verse only Into the river I will wade, There my sins are washed away; From the heavens mercy streams Of the Saviour’s love for me.  Hosanna etc I will rise from waters deep Into the saving arms of God; I will ...