A Holy State Is Wedded Life

A ho­ly state is wed­ded life

And blest

where God joins man and wife:

A type of Je­sus and His bride

Beloved and hon­ored at His side.

Where man­ly worth and gen­tle grace

In god­li­ness keep step apace

There wed­ded love grows nev­er stale

Nor Heav­en’s bless­ings ev­er fail.

Where by the Word the Lord is guest

And all through faith and pray­er is blest

There with God’s grace will all be filled.

And God Him­self that house will build.

The skill­ful hand and strong­er arm

Still plied with zeal and ar­dor warm

With watch­ful eye and fru­gal care

Full soon a com­pe­tence pre­pare.

This chaste es­tate of para­dise

Is left to man be­low the skies;

Prolific har­bin­ger of good

Perennial fount of bro­ther­hood:

From this all sta­tions em­an­ate

The home

the Church

and pow­ers of state;

Blest nur­se­ry of vir­tu­ous worth

Be thou held sac­red still on earth!