As thou dost join with holiest bonds
The Father and the Son,

So fill thy saints with mutual love,
And link their hearts in one.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Holy Ghost,
Eternal glory be from man,
And from the angel-host.

OR THIS.

(Nunc sancte nobis Spiritus. No. 5. St. Ambrose.)

BLEST Spirit, one with God above,
Thou source of life and holy love,
Oh, cheer us with thy sacred beams,
Refresh us with thy plenteous streams.

Oh, may our lips confess thy name,
Our holy lives thy power proclaim:
With love divine our hearts inspire,
And fill us with thy holy fire.

Oh Holy Father, Holy Son,
And Holy Spirit, three in one,
Thy grace devoutly we implore;
Thy name be praised for evermore.

SIXTH HOUR, or 12.

(Jam Solis excelsum Jubar. No. 6.)

AND now the sun's meridian beams
Their brightest rays unfold,
And fill the air, on every side,
With darts of glitt'ring gold.

Oh Christ, thou Sun of righteousness,
Far brighter beams are thine;
Oh may our souls their influence feel,
Those rays of love divine.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Holy Ghost,
All glory be from saints on earth,
And from the angel-host.

OR THIS.

(Rector potens, verax Deus. No. 7.)

OH God of truth, Almighty Lord,
Thou rulest all things by thy word,
Thy sunbeams deck the rising morn,
Thy rays the sultry noon adorn.

Extinguish, Lord, th' unhallow'd fire
Of sinful strife, of vain desire:
Oh bid our pains, our sorrows cease,
And fill our hearts with holy peace.

Oh Holy Father, Holy Son,
And Holy Spirit, three in one,
Thy grace devoutly we implore,
Thy name be praised for evermore.

NINTH HOUR, or 3 IN THE AFTERNOON.
(Labente jam solis rotá. No. 8.)

AND now the sun's declining rays
Towards the eve descend ;

E'en so our years are sinking down

To their appointed end.

Lord, on the cross thine arms were stretched,

To draw us to the sky:

Oh grant us then that cross to love,

And in those arms to die.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Holy Ghost,
All glory be from saints on earth,
And from the angel-host.

OR THIS.

(Rerum Deus tenax vigor. No. 9. St. Ambrose.)

ALMIGHTY God, thy throne above

No time can change, no power can move:

Thy word the fleeting hours obey,

They speed the night, they close the day.

Oh cheer the evening of our days
With that bright beam which ne'er decays:
And make a happy death the road

To bring our ransom'd souls to God.

Oh Holy Father, Holy Son,
And Holy Spirit, three in one,
Thy grace devoutly we implore,
Thy name be praised for evermore.

EVENSONG, OR VESPERS.

(Oh luce qui mortalibus. No. 10.)

On Thou, whose throne is hid from men
By more than earthly rays,

Before whose face e'en seraphs shrink,
And tremble as they gaze;

Here we thy people sit forlorn,
In darkness doom'd to dwell,
But soon thy bright eternal day
That darkness shall dispel.

This day thou hast in store for us,
This day so fair and bright;
How faint the mid-day sun compared
With its celestial light.

But ah! too long thou lingerest,

Thou long-expected day:

For why! this body's toilsome load

Must first be cast away.

But when my soul hath ta'en her flight,
From earthly bonds set free,

To see thee, love thee, praise thy name,
Her endless task shall be.

Oh may we so, blest Three in One,
Thy present light improve,
That we hereafter may enjoy
Thy glorious beams above.

OR THIS.

(Lucis creator optime. No. 11. St. Gregory.)

SOURCE of light and life divine,

Thou didst cause the light to shine;
Thou didst bring thy sunbeams forth
O'er thy new-created earth.

Shade of night, and morning ray,
Took from Thee the name of day;
Now again the shades are nigh,
Listen to our mournful cry.

May we ne'er, by guilt deprest,
Lose the way to endless rest;
May no thoughts impure and vain
Draw our souls to earth again.

Rather lift them to the skies,

Where our much-loved treasure lies;

Help us in our daily strife,

Make us struggle into life.