Believing Fathers Oft Have Told

Believing fa­thers oft have told

What things by God were done

When faith­ful men in days of old

Their life­long bat­tle won;

And now when God calls us to life

And Sa­tan tempts each man

We choose our side in th’mor­tal strife

To fight as best we can—

Like bro­thers true

of one ac­cord

To hold one faith and serve one Lord.

Our king has come to claim His own

Has paid the debt we owe

Himself has fought the fight alone

In straits we can­not know.

Amid the world’s con­fus­èd noise

Where we but dark­ly see

The Christ ap­peals

with sweet

clear voice

My bro­thers

fol­low Me—

Like bro­thers true

of one ac­cord

To hold one faith

to serve one Lord.

His Church our shel­ter

He our guide

Our strength His heal­ing cross

We range our­selves up­on His side

Where none can suf­fer loss.

We’re safe be­hind our Sav­ior’s shield;

He makes us heirs of Heav­en;

We claim up­on th’em­bat­tled field

The vic­to­ry Christ has giv­en—

Like bro­thers true

of one ac­cord

To hold one faith

to serve one Lord.

And yet

O Christ

our Sav­ior king

Unless Thou keep us Thine

Our faith will soon dry at the spring

Our love will shrink and pine.

So by Thy Spir­it mold us

Lord;

Inspire our hearts to pray;

Our hun­gry souls feed with Thy Word

And teach our lips to say

True bro­thers we

of one ac­cord

We hold one faith

we serve one Lord.

We fain would do our mas­ter’s part

And help our fel­low men

Would cheer some lone­ly bro­ther’s heart

Some lost one bring again

Would serve the Church abroad

at home

With hearts from self set free

Striving to make Thy king­dom come.

O God

so may it be

That

bro­thers true

with one ac­cord

We hold the faith and serve the Lord!