Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

That the King of kings was near,

Who should sit on David's throne:
Stung with madness, straight he cries,
"Treason threatens-draw the sword!
Rebels all around us rise!

Drown the cradles deep in blood !"

What is guilty Herod's gain,
Though a thousand babes he slay?
CHRIST, amid a thousand slain,
Is in safety borne away.

Honour, glory, virtue, merit,

Be to Thee, O Virgin's SON!
With the FATHER, and the SPIRIT,
While eternal ages run.

"These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto GOD and to the Lamb."

31.

LOVELY flowers of martyrs, hail!
Smitten by the tyrant foe

On life's threshold,- —as the gale
Strews the roses ere they blow.

First to die for CHRIST, sweet lambs!
At the very altar ye,

With your martyr-crowns and palms,
Sport in your simplicity.

Honour, glory, virtue, merit,

Be to Thee, O Virgin's SON!
With the FATHER, and the SPIRIT,
While eternal ages run.

"They serve GOD day and night in His temple: they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall lead them unto living fountains of water."

32. As wolves attack their helpless prey,
So Herod holds his murd'rous way,
And hopes, but O! he hopes in vain,
To mingle JESUS with the slain.

The cradles flow with infant blood,
But GOD his fury hath withstood:
The LORD alone he sought to slay,
The LORD alone escapes away.

Ye mothers, let no tears be shed;
Yea, weep not though your babes be dead;
For now they stand around the throne,
And JESUS counts them as His own.
The FATHER'S Name we loudly raise,
The SON, the Virgin-born we praise,
The HOLY GHOST we all adore,
One GOD, both now and evermore.

The Circumcision of Christ.

"There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

33. 'Tis for conquering kings to gain

Glory o'er their myriads slain;
JESU, Thy more glorious strife
Hath restored a world to life.

So no other Name is given
Unto mortals under Heaven,
Which can make the dead to rise,

And exalt them to the skies.

That which CHRIST so hardly wrought,

That which He so dearly bought,

That salvation, mortals, say,

Will you madly cast away?

Rather gladly for that name

Bear the cross, endure the shame;
Joyfully for Him to die

Is not death, but victory.

Dost Thou, JESU, condescend
To be call'd the sinner's friend?
Ours then it shall always be
Thus to make our boast of Thee.

Glory to the FATHER be;
Glory, Virgin-born, to Thee;
Glory to the HOLY GHOST,

Ever from the heavenly host.

"When eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called JESUS."

34. THE Word, Who dwelt above the skies
With GOD, before the world began,
Now on the virgin's bosom lies,

A helpless new born Child of man.
Already on His sinless head

The streams of wrath begin to flow;
Already on His infant bed,

The taste of grief the LORD must know.

The lowliest poverty He bears,

That we may be with wealth supplied;
He weeps, and by His precious tears,
A guilty world is purified.

A simple dress, a mean abode,
A life obscure His glory hide;
Proud man, behold thy lowly GOD!
And let the sight destroy thy pride.
O Thou, Who camest from the sky

To be the Lamb for sinners slain,
Thou wilt not leave Thy saints to die,
Nor let such toil be spent in vain.
The FATHER'S Name we loudly raise,
The Virgin-born we all adore,
The HOLY GHOST, One GOD we praise,
Both now on earth, and evermore.

"In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands."

35.

THE year begins with Thee,
And Thou begin'st with woe;
To let the world of sinners see
That blood for sin must flow.

By Blood and Water too,
GOD's mark is set on Thee,
That in Thee every faithful view
Both covenants might see.
O, are we born to tears,
Cradled in care and woe?
And seems it hard our tender years
Few joys of youth can show?
And fall the sounds of mirth
Sad on the lonely heart,

From all the hopes and charms of earth
Untimely call'd to part?

Look here and hold thy peace!
The Giver of all good

E'en from the womb takes no release
From suffering, tears, and blood.

If thou would'st reap in love,
First sow in holy fear;

So life a winter's morn may prove
To a bright endless year.

TO GOD the FATHER, SON,
And SPIRIT, glory be;

As was, and is, and shall be so
To all eternity.

Epiphany.

"The Gentiles shall come to Thy light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising."

36. WHY, ruthless Herod, dost thou fear

Thy GOD should come, thy King appear?
He takes not earthly crowns away,
Who gives the crown that lasts for aye.
The wiser Magi saw from far
And followed on His guiding star,
By light their way to Light they trod,
And hailed with incense-gifts their GOD.

In holy Jordan's purest wave

The heav'nly Lamb vouchsafed to lave,
That He, to Whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.

New miracle of power divine!.
The water reddens into wine:

He spake the word, and poured the wave
In other streams than nature gave.

All glory, LORD, to Thee we pay
For Thine Epiphany to-day,

All glory as is ever meet,

TO FATHER and to Paraclete. Amen.

"All they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD."

37. THAN mightiest cities mightier far,

Thou, Bethlehem, with thy crowning star,
Whose chosen lap receiv'd from Heaven
The Incarnate LORD, for sinners given;

Star, whose bright glories far outrun
The radiant axle of the sun,

Heaven's herald, sent on earth to tell
That GOD made flesh on earth doth dwell.

Soon as the kings their King behold,
Their eastern gifts they straight unfold,
And prostrate all His throne before,
With incense, gold, and myrrh adore.

Pure incense for their GOD they bring,
With royal gold salute their King,
With spices rare, and fragrant myrrh,
They shadow forth His sepulchre.

JESUS, be Thou for ever bless'd,
Who to the Gentiles manifest,
With FATHER, SPIRIT, Three in One,
Art GOD while endless ages run.

C

« AnteriorContinuar »