Strictly for Christians only - a new hymn

[fpb]

One of my absolute favourite hymn tunes is Joseph Parry's wonderful Aberystwyth, to which Jesus, lover of my soul is set. Recently, looking it up, I found that this neglected Victorian musician wrote at least another great melody, Llangristiolus. Unfortunately, the only hymn that seems to be sung to Llnagristiolus is a boring and rather irritating meditation on Calvinistic theology by Toplady, "A debtor to mercy alone," which explains why Llangristiolus is not as well known as Aberystwyth.

At the same time, I found that it is hard to find a hymn that speaks the way I feel about God's gift of Saints to us, about the greatness that He freely gives. So I decided to try and kill two birds with one stone, and write some new lines to Llangristiolus, in praise of the Saints and thanks to God. A word about what I mean by Saints here: I mean all the people, whether Christian or not, who have done their best to live according to the best they could perceive of natural or divine law. For any person who tries that for any amount of time will know that it is impossible to act according to natural law with our own strength for as much as one day, without failing; and, if they have persisted in the right path at all, it has been because they consciously or unconsciously called for help in their weakness and forgiveness for their fault. In other words, consciously or unconsciously, the called to He who can help and forgive. That does not mean that I reduce the importance of the Church, the doctrine, the Sacraments; only that what we do consciously, they do without perfect knowledge, but to the glory of God nevertheless. And one day they shall know just Who it was that their good deeds served.

Here is the tune, http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/e/debtorto.htm; and here is the hymn:

They’re coming, they’re coming, the saints
From east and from west, south and north
As Jesus has called them to life
When He from the grave had come forth
The glory, the splendour of man
Which man has been given by God,
To God everlastingly now
Comes back as a debt ever owed.

Now judgment is passed for good
And truth has been told of all souls
And all that is wrong has been seen
And driven in shame from God’s halls
They come, beyond hope and delight
Who never did dream they’d be called;
Their wearing is whiter than white,
Their singing more golden than gold

Each one has a story to tell
A life that was not lived in vain,
A million small things they did well,
A thousand will be told again.
For even in darkness below
Their goodness shone forth as a beam
And they shine with light here and now
Where things are as true as they seem.

The wise who have lighted the way,
Surrender their wisdom to God;
The mighty, who have built good things
Give thanks for all that He bestowed;
The artists, whose skill does it best,
Tell forth of His glory like stars
That run from the east to the west
And sing of his splendour afar.

Each one is a marvel to men,
Beyond what man thinks man can be;
Each one you might worship right then
For greatness and joy beyond glee;
Each one is deserving of love
And each one would answer to you
Like angels, do not bow to me,
For I’m just a servant like you.

Look up, look through and beyond
This person you happen to see;
The Power that has made me and found
And died and was raised for me;
That made me with all I could be
And much more over and o’er.
This glory has He given to me;
Now glory returns to the Core.

They’re coming, they’re coming, the saints,
An ocean of power and of joy
That rises for ever and ay
That nothing can halt or destroy;
To cast their own crowns before God
And sing with the bright Seraphim
That all that was good was bestowed
And ordered and willed by Him

To God be the glory for good,
For all that was done in His name;
To Jesus, the name that has stood
And stands and will aye stand the same;
To He Who came down as bright fire
To light and be a guide unto men
The Spirit that leads man’s desire
To God’s own great beauty. Amen!