Not All the Outward Forms on Earth

Not all the out­ward forms on earth

Nor rites that God has giv’n

Nor will of man

nor blood

nor birth

Can raise a soul to Heav’n.

The sov­er­eign will of God alone

Creates us heirs of grace;

Born in the im­age of His Son

A new

pe­cul­iar race.

The Spir­it

like some heav’n­ly wind

Blows on the sons of flesh

New-models all the car­nal mind

And forms the man afresh.

Our quick­ened souls awake and rise

From the long sleep of death;

On heav’n­ly things we fix our eyes

And praise em­ploys our breath.