212: CALLED from above, and heavenly men by birth

212: CALLED from above, and heavenly men by birth

by James George Deck (1802-1884)

1 CALLED from above, and heavenly men by birth,
(Who once were but the citizens of earth)
As pilgrims here, we seek a heavenly home,
Our portion in the ages yet to come.

2 Where all the saints of every clime shall meet,
And each with all shall all the ransomed greet,
But oh, the height of bliss, our Lord, shall be
To owe it all, and share it all, with Thee.

3 Thou wast the image in man's lowly guise
Of the invisible to mortal eyes;
Son of His bosom, come from heaven above,
We see in Thee incarnate, "God is love".

4 Thy lips the Father's name to us reveal;
What burning power in all Thy words we feel,
As with enraptured hearts we hear Thee tell
The heavenly glories which Thou know'st so well!

5 No curse of law, in Thee was sovereign grace,
And now what glory in Thine unveiled face!
Thou didst attract the wretched and the weak,
Thy joy the wanderers and the lost to seek.

6 That precious stream of water and of blood
Which from Thy pierced side so freely flowed,
Has put away our sins of scarlet dye,
Washed us from every stain, and brought us nigh.

7 We are but strangers here, we do not crave
A home on earth, which gave Thee but a grave:
Thy cross has severed ties which bound us here,
Thyself our treasure in a brighter sphere.