Oh! praise the Father, and the Son,

Who bids us welcome to the skies, And Holy Ghost, by whom alone

We share the Saviour's victories,

ASCENSION DAY.

NOCTURN.

(Salutis humanæ Sator. No. 71.)

Oh, Jesu, Lord of heavenly grace,
Redeemer of our guilty race,
To Thee our faithful eyes we bend,
The saint's delight, the sinner's friend !
What wondrous love prevailed on Thee,
The bearer of our sins to be: .
Thyself in sacrifice to give
That sinners might not die, but live!

Now crushed is Satan's doleful reign,
And shivered is the tyrant's chain;
And Thou art in thy meet abode,
A conqueror on the throne of God.

Oh! let thy mercy then prevail,
To heal the losses we bewail :
Oh! cheer as with thy beaming face,
Enrich us with thy gifts of grace.

G

Be thou our passage to the skies,
Be thou the goal before our eyes,
Our present joy, to dry our tears,
Our future prize, for endless years.

Matixs.

(Opus peregisti tuam. No. 72.)

REDEEMER ! now thy work is done! Death owns thy power, the prize is won! And now once more we see thee rise, Returning to thy native skies. A radiant cloud is now thy seat, And earth lies stretched beneath thy feet: While myriads, in their bright array, Attend thee homeward on thy way. Beside the everlasting gates The angel-host enraptured waits : Ile comes,

he

comes, and God's high throne Receives at length the Holy One. There, Jesu, thou hast never ceased To be our friend, our great high priest: Pleading in our behalf thy blood, That holy reconciling flood. And thence the Church, thy chosen bride, With spiritual gifts supplied, Through all her members draws from Thee Her hidden life of sanctity.

And thence, when perils close around, Thou makest us maintain our ground: 'Tis thy right arm subdues our foes, Thy hand the victor's prize bestows. All praise to Jesus Christ be given, The conqueror who returns to heaven : With praise exalt, ye heavenly host, The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

EVENSONG.

(Jesu, nostra, redemptio. No. 73.)

O CHRIST, our hope, our heart's desire,

Redemption's only spring ;
Creator of the world art thou,

Its Saviour and its King.
How vast the mercy and the love

Which laid our sins on Thee :
And led Thee to a cruel death,

To set thy people free ! But now the bonds of death are burst,

The ransom has been paid :
And Thou art on thy Father's throne,

In glorious robes arrayed.
Oh, may thy mighty love prevail

Our sinful souls to spare!
Oh, may we come before Thy throne,

And find acceptance there !

86

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY.

But lo! the cross, which once the Jew

And Gentile dared despise,
The saint's delight, the sinner's scorn,

Shines brightly in the skies.
That cross those wicked men behold,

But find no mercy there :
It only serves to seal their fate,

And heighten their despair.
Lord, may we never to such guilt,

Or to such downfall come!
Oh, save us from the sinner's path,

And from the singer's doom!

Oh, future Judge, to thy great name

All glory we afford!
The Father, and the Holy Ghost

Be equally adored.

EVENSONG.

(Nobis Olympo redditus. No. 76.)

On, Christ, who hast prepared a place
For us around thy throne of grace,
We pray thee, lift our hearts above,
And draw them with the cords of love!

Source of all good, thou, gracious Lord,
Art our exceeding great reward ;
How transient is our present pain
How boundless our eternal gain!

With open face and joyful heart
We then shall see thee as thou art:
Our love shall never cease to glow,
Our praise shall never cease to flow.

Thy never-failing grace to prove,
A surety of thine endless love,
Send down thy Holy Ghost, to be
The raiser of our souls to Thee.

O future Judge, Eternal Lord,
Thy name be hallowed and adored:
To God the Father, king of heaven,
And Holy Ghost, like praise be given.

Amen.

WHITSUNDAY.

Eve.

(0 Christi, qui noster poli. No. 77.)

() JESU, who art

gone

before To thy blest realms of light, Oh, thither may our spirits soar,

And wing their upward flight!

Make us to those delights aspire,

Which spring from love to Thee, Which

pass the carnal heart's desire, Which faith alone can see.