FORWARD! BE OUR WATCHWORD
"By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them
on their way and by night in a pillar of fire." Exodus 13:21
Words: Henry Alford, 1871. This hymn was written for the Tenth
Festival of the Parochial Choirs of the Canterbury Diocesan Union, held
in Canterbury Cathedral, England.
Music: "St. Boniface," Henry Robert Gadsby, 1875.
Forward! be our watchword, steps and voices joined;
Seek the things before us, not a look behind;
Burns the fiery pillar at our army's head;
Who shall dream of shrinking, by our Captain led?
Forward through the desert, through the toil and fight;
Jordan flows before us; Zion beams with light.
Glories upon glories hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love Him one day to be shared;
Eye hath not beheld them, ear hath never heard;
Nor of these hath uttered thought or speech a word;
Forward, marching eastward, where the heaven is bright,
Till the veil be lifted, till our faith be sight.
Far o'er yon horizon rise the city towers
Where our God abideth; that fair home is ours:
Flash the streets with jasper, shine the gates with gold;
Flows the gladdening river shedding joys untold.
Thither, onward, thither, in the Spirit's might;
Pilgrims to your country, forward into light!
To th'eternal Father loudest anthems raise;
To the Son and Spirit echo songs of praise;
To the Lord of glory, blessed Three in One,
Be by men and angels endless honor done.
Weak are earthly praises, dull the songs of night:
Forward into triumph, forward into light!