1851.

ST. THOMAS.

'Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.'-Gospel.

O Thou, who didst with love untold
Thy doubting servant chide,
Bidding the eye of sense behold
Thy wounded hands and side:

Grant us, like him, with heartfelt awe
To own Thee God and Lord,

And from his hour of darkness draw
Faith in the incarnate Word.

And while that wondrous record now
Of unbelief we hear,

Teach us the lowlier, Lord, to bow
In self distrusting fear:

And grant that we may never dare
Thy loving heart to grieve,

But at the last their blessings share
Who see not, yet believe.

EMMA TOKE.

1881.

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?'-Epistle.

Where shall we find our mightiest saint,
The chosen vessel of the Lord?
The soul to dare and never faint,

The arm to wield the conqueror's sword ?

We find him where we sought him not,
Chief in the front of Jesus' foes:
There, where the battle rages hot,
Loudest of all his trumpet blows.

O voice of love! O voice of power!
'Saul, Saul, why warrest thou with Me?'
O captive heart, in that dread hour
From every bond, but one, set free!

Love-vanquished prisoner of the cross!
The love of Christ doth now constrain:
For Christ he counts his glories loss,
To live is Christ, to die is gain.

O Saviour! when with heedless jest,
Or blinding zeal, or anger fierce,
We wound the souls that Thou hast blest,
Dear Lord! unknowing whom we pierce,

Look, Lord! upon us from above;

Speak, Lord! Why warrest thou with Me?' Then make us heralds of Thy love,

And chosen vessels unto Thee!

HENRY MONTAGU BUTLER,

PURIFICATION.

EVENING BEFORE.

'They brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.'-Gospel.

1686.

'Fumant Sabaeis templa vaporibus.'

Sweet incense breathes around,
The coming Lord to greet;
And Sion through her sacred bound
Awakes, her God to meet.
Arise ye then, ye wakeful quires,
And early light your altar fires.
Let faith with glistening eye
Trim up her torch so bright,
And flame-encircled charity

Breathe out her glowing light;
And white-robed innocence be there,
To pour its sweetest incense prayer.
Why love to linger here-

These guilty days prolong?
More blessed far yon dying seer,

Be ours his parting song;
And He whom here by faith we see
Shall our eternal portion be.

To God the Father, Son,

And Spirit, glory be;

To the eternal Three in One,

To all eternity!

Blest Trinity, to Thee we raise

Our joyous hearts in ceaseless praise.

JEAN BAPTISTE DE SANTEUIL.

1839.

tr. anonymously.

MORNING.

'His mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.'—Gospel.

'Templi sacratas pande, Sion, fores.'

O Sion! open wide thy gates;
Let figures disappear;

A priest and victim both in one,
The Truth Himself is here.

No more the simple flock shall bleed:
Behold, the Father's Son
Himself to His own altar comes,

For sinners to atone.

Conscious of hidden Deity,

The lowly virgin brings

Her newborn babe, with two young doves

Her tender offerings.

The hoary Simeon sees at last

His Lord so long desired;

And hails with Anna Israel's hope,

With sudden rapture fired.

But silent knelt the mother blest
Of the yet silent Word;

And pondering all things in her heart,
With speechless praise adored.

Praise to the Father and the Son;
Praise to the Spirit be;

Praise to the blessèd Three in One

Through all eternity.

1680.

1849.

JEAN BAPTISTE DE SANTEUIL. tr. by EDWARD CASWALL.

EVENING.

'So we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts.'-Collect.

1819.

1836.

Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God;
The secret of the Lord is theirs ;
Their soul is Christ's abode.

The Lord who left the heavens,
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King;

Still to the lowly soul
He doth Himself impart,

And for His dwelling and His throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.

Lord, we Thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;

Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for Thee.

JOHN KEBLE, altered.