For souls redeem'd, for sins forgiven, For means of grace, and hopes of heaven, We lose what on ourselves we spend, Whatever, Lord, we lend to Thee, To Thee, from whom we all derive We give Thee all ! III-HARK THE SOUND OF HOLY VOICES. (ALL SAINTS' DAY.) [ARK the sound of holy voices, chanting at the HAR crystal sea, Hallelujah Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Lord, to Thee; Multitudes which none can number, like the stars in glory stand, Cloth'd in white apparel, holding palms of victory in their hand. Patriarch, and holy Prophet, who prepar'd the way for Christ; King, Apostle, Saint, and Martyr, Confessor, Evangelist, Saintly Maiden, godly Matron, Widows who have watch'd to prayer, Join'd in holy concert singing to the Lord of all, are there. They have come from tribulation, and have wash'd their robes in blood, Wash'd them in the blood of Jesus; tried they were, and firm they stood: Mock'd, imprison'd, ston'd, tormented, sawn asunder, slain with sword, They have conquer'd Death and Satan, by the might of Christ the Lord. Marching with Thy Cross their banner, they have triumph'd following, Thee the Captain of Salvation, Thee their Saviour and their King ; Gladly, Lord, with Thee they suffer'd; gladly, Lord, with Thee they died; And, by Death, to Life immortal they were born, and glorified. Now they reign in heavenly glory, now they walk in golden light, Now they drink, as from a river, holy bliss and infinite; Love and Peace they taste for ever; and all Truth and Knowledge see In the beatific vision of the Blessèd Trinity. God of God, the One-begotten, Light of Light, Emmanuel, In Whose Body, join'd together, all the Saints for ever dwell; Pour upon us of Thy fulness, that we may for ever more God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost adore. On thee, at the Creation, The Light first had its birth; On thee, for our salvation, Christ rose from depths of earth; On thee, our Lord victorious The Spirit sent from Heaven; Thou art a port protected From storms that round us rise; A garden intersected With streams of Paradise ; Thou art a cooling fountain In life's dry, dreary sand; From thee, like Pisgah's mountain, Thou art a holy ladder, Where Angels go and come; A day of sweet refection, From earth to things above. To-day on weary nations The heavenly Manna falls ; To holy convocations The silver trumpet calls, Where Gospel-light is glowing With pure and radiant beams; And living water flowing With soul-refreshing streams. New graces ever gaining To Thee, blest Three in One Henry Alford. 1810-1871. HENRY ALFORD was born at 25, Alfred Place, Bedford Row, London, on the 10th of October, 1810. He was a son of Rev. Henry Alford, Rector of Aston Sandford. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1829, and graduated in 1832. He was ordained as Curate of Ampton in 1833, and became Fellow of Trinity in 1834. He was Vicar of Wymeswold from 1835 to 1853, Incumbent of Quebec Chapel, London, from 1853 to 1857, and Dean of Canterbury from 1857 until his death, which took place on the 12th of January, 1871. He was Hulsean Lecturer 1841-2. His literary labours were manyfold and incessant, the greatest of his undertakings being his edition of the Greek Testament, a work which took him twenty years to complete. His earlier hymns were published in the Christian Observer and the Christian Guardian (1830), and these were followed by a volume, "Poems and Poetical Fragments" (1833); "The School of the Heart and Other Poems" (1835); "Hymns for the Sundays and Festivals throughout the Year" (1836); "The Abbot of Muchelnaye" (1841); "Psalms and Hymns" (1844); "Poetical Works" (1845); "A Year of Praise" (1867); and "The Lord's Prayer" (1869); besides which he contributed verse to Macmillan's Magazine and Good Words. |