MARRIAGE HYMN.
PRELUDE.
Thy types are no mere pictured forms;
The sun which witnesses of Thee,
A world itself, gives life and warms,
Is what it figures Thee to be;
No lifeless glass Thy mirrors are,—
The living stream, the luminous star.
Thou livest in Thy Sacraments,
And thus,—through them we live in Thee;
Each what it pictures still presents,
And this great marriage-mystery,
This sacred one of man and wife,
Brings Christ the Life into our life.
MARRIAGE HYMN.
From henceforth no more twain but one,
Yet ever one through being twain,
As self is ever lost and won
Through love's own ceaseless loss and gain,—
And both their full perfection reach,
Each growing the true self through each.
Two in all worship glad and high,
All promises to praise and prayer,
“Where two are gathered, there am I.”
Gone half the weight from all ye bear,
Gained twice the force for all ye do,
The sacred, ceaseless Church of two.
One in all lowly ministry,
One in all priestly sacrifice,
Through love which makes all service free,
And finds or makes all gifts of price;
All love that made life rich before,
Through this great central love grown more.
And so together journeying on
To the Great Bridal of the Christ,
When all the life His love has won
To perfect Love is sacrificed,
And the New Song, beyond the sun,
Peals “Henceforth no more Twain but One.”
And in that perfect Marriage-day
All earth's lost love shall live once more,
All lack and loss shall pass away,
And all find all not found before,—
Till all the worlds shall live and glow
In that great Love's great overflow.
