Head Of The Church, Thy Body ( 115 )

Head of the church, Thy body,
O Christ, the great Salvation!
Sweet to the saints
It is to think
Of all Thine exaltation!
All power’s to Thee committed.
All power on earth, in heaven;
To Thee a name
Of widest fame
Above all glory’s given.

With Thee believers raised,
In Thee in high are seated;
All guilty once,
But cleared by Thee;
Redemption-toil’s completed.
And when Thou, Lord and Savior,
Shalt come again in glory,
There by Thy side,
Thy spotless bride
Shall crown the wondrous story.

At length–the final kingdom,
No bound, no end possessing:
When heaven and earth–
God all in all
Shall fill with largest blessing.
All root of evil banished,
No breath of sin to wither,
On earth–on high–
Naught else but joy,
And blissful peace for ever!