98

H

Sundays after Epiphany

P.M.

[OW bright appears the Morning Star,
With mercy beaming from afar;
The host of heaven rejoices;

O Righteous Branch, O Jesse's Rod!
Thou Son of man and Son of God!
We, too, will lift our voices:
Jesus, Jesus!

Holy, holy, yet most lowly,
Draw thou near us;

Great Emmanuel, come and hear us.

2 Though circled by the hosts on high,
He deigned to cast a pitying eye
Upon his helpless creature;
The whole creation's Head and Lord,
By highest seraphim adored,
Assumed our very nature;
Jesus, grant us,

Through thy merit, to inherit
Thy salvation;

Hear, O hear our supplication.

3 Rejoice, ye heavens; thou earth, reply;
With praise, ye sinners, fill the sky,
For this his incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth thy power,
Ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
Till all know thy salvation.
Amen, Amen!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Praise be given

Evermore, by earth and heaven.

Amen.

"ilip Nicolai, 1599, alt.; Tr. William Mercer, recast 1859

99

7.6.7.6 D.

HALL to the Lord's Anointed,

Great David's greater Son!

Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free;
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

2 He comes with succour speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in his sight.

3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth,
And love, joy, hope, like flowers.
Spring in his path to birth:
Before him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.

4 Kings shall bow down before him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore him,
His praise all people sing;
To him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

5 O'er every foe victorious,

He on his throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest:
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His Name shall stand for ever,
His changeless Name of Love.

James Montgomery, 1821

100

8.7.8.7

those dreary dwelling,

Borders on the shades of death,

Jesus, now thyself revealing,
Scatter every cloud beneath.

2 Still we wait for thine appearing;
Life and joy thy beams impart,
Chasing all our doubts, and cheering
Every meek and contrite heart.

3 Show thy power in every nation,
O thou Prince of Peace and Love!
Give the knowledge of salvation,
Fix our hearts on things above.

4 By thine all-sufficient merit,

Every burdened soul release; By the presence of thy Spirit, Guide us into perfect peace.

101

Amen.

Charles Wesley, 1744

C.M.

JOY to the world! the Lord is come:

earth her King;

Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing.

2 Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns: Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,

Repeat the sounding joy.

3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.

102

Isaac Watts, 1719

C.M.

VERY God of very God,

And very Light of Light,

Whose feet this earth's dark valley trod,
That so it might be bright;

2 Our hopes are weak, our fears are strong,
Thick darkness blinds our eyes;
Cold is the night; thy people long
That thou, their Sun, wouldst rise.

3 And even now, though dull and gray,
The east is brightening fast,
And kindling to the perfect day,
That never shall be past.

4 O guide us till our path is done,
And we have reached the shore
Where thou, our everlasting Sun,
Art shining evermore!

5 We wait in faith, and turn our face
To where the daylight springs,

Till thou shalt come our gloom to chase,
With healing in thy wings. Amen.

John Mason Neale, 1846

103

HA

Eight 7's

[ARK! the song of jubilee,
Loud as mighty thunders roar,

Or the fullness of the sea,

When it breaks upon the shore: "Hallelujah! for the Lord

God Omnipotent shall reign; Hallelujah!" let the word

Echo round the earth and main.

2 Hallelujah! hark! the sound,

From the depths unto the skies.
Wakes above, beneath, around
All creation's harmonies;
See Jehovah's banner furled,

Sheathed his sword; he speaks; 'tis
done;

And the kingdoms of this world

Are the kingdoms of his Son.

3 He shall reign from pole to pole
With illimitable sway;

He shall reign when, like a scroll,
Yonder heavens have passed away.
Then the end; beneath his rod
Man's last enemy shall fall:
Hallelujah! Christ in God,

God in Christ is All in All.

James Montgomery, 1818