’Twas the Commission of Our Lord

’Twas the com­miss­ion of our Lord

Go teach the na­tions

and bap­tize:

The na­tions have re­ceived the word

Since He as­cend­ed to the skies.

He sits up­on th’eter­nal hills

With grace and par­don in His hands;

And sends His cov’nant with the seals

To bless the dist­ant dark­ened lands.

[originally the dist­ant Brit­ish lands]

Repent

and be bap­tized

He saith

For the re­mis­sion of your sins:

And thus our sense as­sists our faith

And shows us what His Gos­pel means.

Our souls He wash­es in His blood

As wa­ter makes the bo­dy clean;

And the good Spir­it from our God

Descends like pu­ri­fy­ing rain.

Thus we en­gage our­selves to Thee

And seal our cov’nant with the Lord;

O may the great eter­nal Three

In Heav’n our so­lemn vows re­cord!