{
The New Birth from Above
TALLIS' CANON-Thomas Tallis
The New Birth from Above
}
Glory be to God in heaven,
Praise to Christ, our Saviour great!
By the power of Thy Spirit
A new man Thou didst create.
Angels see in joyous rapture
God's own Word in deed fulfilled;
And amid our glad embraces
Is this child of God revealed.
This new being now arises,
Having died with Christ before;
What in Adam's fall had perished
Christ the Saviour did restore.
Dearest child, we bid thee welcome
In our blessed brotherhood;
From the wild tree thou art grafted
On this holy tree and root.
Out of water and of Spirit
Thou, O child, art born today;
You've escaped the old oppressor,
In God's covenant you'll stay.
Of one vine we all are branches;
Of Christ's body members we;
And for Satan's gall so bitter,
Streams of life our drink shall be.
So sincere is our affection,
Being but one body here,
And our hopes are so united
That all envies disappear.
All is common to the brethren,
Yet each one of us is free;
Unconstrained we all do offer
Love, without hypocrisy.
Gladly we relive thy suff'ring;
At thy welfare we rejoice;
And, while for the Lord we battle,
We are joined in heart and voice.
This our unity exceedeth
All the bounds of time and space,
And what here has been provided
Shall eternity embrace.