In Eden’s Holy Grove

Inspiration: Ephesians 5:21–32; 1 Timothy 3:16; Galatians 4:4

Meter: Short Meter Double (66 86 66 86)

Text: © 2022

Tune: Terra Beata 🔊

Music: English; adapt. Franklin L. Sheppard, 1852–1930

In Eden’s holy grove
Were man and wife made one—
A picture, formed by God in love,
Of Church joined to His Son.
Christ Jesus now is come,
True Bridegroom of the Bride;
To bear Her t’His eternal home
For Her He bled and died.

When death He slept, then flowed
The rosy Stream of Life;
From God’s own heart are now bestowed
The Gifts to form His Wife.
The blood and water shed
Christ’s mystery confess:
He’s washed His Church; His Church He’s fed;
She’s giv’n His holiness.

By blows and nails and spear
The King is scarred fore’er,
So that His Church, His bride most dear,
Would not a blemish bear.
No sins to mar or blush
Shall ever stain His face,
For Christ has cleansed Her with the Wash
Tied to His Word of grace.

From every land and place
One body Christ has claimed.
That we may all receive His grace,
Be named by the one Name.
In this we all are one—
Hence, all hostility!
Font-born of Father, Spirit, Son
The Church has unity.

The Two are joined as One,
She’s body and Christ’s head,
And members of His body’are we,
For thus our Lord has said:
“My body giv’n for you
Receive from Me and eat,
And drink My blood poured out for you—
With pardon it’s replete.”

“A myst’ry great, profound”—
God’s Word to us through Paul—
From us this Word shall e’er resound,
Sung by both great and small,
“That God His Son sent forth,
At time’s complete, to die
Thus to redeem the sinful earth,
To claim His holy bride!

△ “All fatherhood is known
From You, O God, alone,
So thus You sent the Spirit down,
To give, for us, Your Son.
In flesh the Godhead came,
In Jesus Christ, the Son,
Who shares the Father, Spirit’s Name.
Oh, praise the Three in One!”