God hath laid in Zion his foundation stone;
Prophets, saints and martyrs built on him alone.
For this stone so precious, chosen, sure and tried,
Is the Rock of Ages, Christ, the Crucified.
Building, steadily building, on the precious corner stone,
Trusting, cheerily trusting in his mighty grace alone;
Working, heartily working on a structure day by day,
That shall stand when earth has passed away.
In that day of triumph, when shall rise above
God’s completed temple, radiant with his love,
What shouts of praise and glory
Shall tell the joyful story,
Jesus, once rejected, ever shall abide,
Headstone of the corner, Christ, the glorified.
Resting on the Rock-foundation,
We are safe, tho’ floods may swell;
Builded for a habitation,
Where the Holy One may dwell.
Works of faith, and love, and duty,
Are the jewels that we bring,
Polished for the heav’nly palaces,
For the glory of the King.
Holy, holy, holy, angel voices cry,
Holy, holy, holy, let his Church reply,
Glory to the Father, glory to the Son,
Glory to the Spirit, blessed Three in One.
Amen.
Source: Sunday-School Praises: prepared especially for use in the Sunday-School #164
Pseudonym: Lidie H. Edmunds.
Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was born in Philadelphia 28 June 1851. She was educated in the public schools and after graduation from high school became a teacher. However, she developed a spinal malady which cut short her career and made her a shut-in for many years. During her convalescence, she studied English literature. She felt a need to be useful to her church and began writing poems for the primary department. she went on to teach Sunday school, take an active part in the Philadelphia Elementary Union and become Superintendent of the primary department of Calvin Presbyterian Church.
Dianne Shapiro, from "The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers" by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (… Go to person page >
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