5 Jesus calls us: by thy mercies,

Saviour, make us hear thy call, Give our hearts to thine obedience, Serve and love thee best of all.

Amen.

Cecil Frances Alexander, 1852

269

ST. THOMAS

C.M.

THOU who didst, with love untold,
Thy doubting servant chide,

And bad'st the eye of sense behold
Thy wounded hands and side;

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

And from his hour of darkness draw
A fuller faith's reward.

3 And while that wondrous record now Of unbelief we hear,

O let us only lowlier bow

In self-distrusting fear;

4 And pray that we may never dare
Thy loving heart to grieve,
But at the last their blessings share
Who see not, yet believe! Amen.

Emma L. Toke, 1851

270

W

C.M.

E walk by faith, and not by sight;
No gracious words we hear

From him who spake as man ne'er spake;
But we believe him near.

2 We may not touch his hands and side, Nor follow where he trod; But in his promise we rejoice,

And cry, "My Lord and God!"

3 Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
And may our faith abound,

To call on thee when thou art near,
And seek where thou art found:

4 That, when our life of faith is done,
In realms of clearer light

We may behold thee as thou art,
With full and endless sight. Amen.

See also No. 555, st. 4-8

271

Henry Alford, 1844

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL

7.6.7.6 D.

We sing the glorious conquest
WE Before Damascus gate,

When Saul, the Church's spoiler,
Came breathing threats and hate;
The ravening wolf rushed forward
Full early to the prey;

But lo! the Shepherd met him,
And bound him fast to-day.

2 O glory most excelling

That smote across his path!
O light that pierced and blinded
The zealot in his wrath!

O voice that spake within him
The calm, reproving word!

O love that sought and held him
The bondman of his Lord!

3 O Wisdom ordering all things
In order strong and sweet,
What nobler spoil was ever
Cast at the Victor's feet?
What wiser master-builder
E'er wrought at thine employ
Than he, till now so furious
Thy building to destroy?

4 Lord, teach thy Church the lesson,
Still in her darkest hour
Of weakness and of danger,
To trust thy hidden power:
Thy grace by ways mysterious
The wrath of man can bind,
And in thy boldest foeman
Thy chosen saint can find.

Amen.

John Ellerton, 1871

272

LORD, who fulfillest thus anew

Thine own blest dying prayer,

C.M.

That they who know not what they do, May in thy ransom share:

2 When foes thy Church's power defy,
Or slight thy sacred word,

Or thee, true God and Man, deny,
Grant them conversion, Lord.

3 Grant that the light may round them shine; That, set from error free,

They in thy word the truth divine,
Thee in thy Church may see;

4 That so, when our brief time is done.
We may with them adore
The Father, and coequal Son,
And Spirit evermore.

Amen.

Henry W. Mozley, 1866

Also the following

117 He who would valiant be
152 In the cross of Christ I glory
218 Jesus, I live to thee

273

THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST

IN

OR

PURIFICATION OF ST. MARY

8.7.8.7.8.7
N his temple now behold him;
See the long-expected Lord!
Ancient prophets had foretold him;
God hath now fulfilled his word.
Now to praise him, his redeemèd

Shall break forth with one accord.

2 In the arms of her who bore him,
Virgin pure, behold him lie,
While his agèd saints adore him,
Ere in perfect faith they die:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Lo, the incarnate God most high!

3 Jesus, by thy Presentation,

Thou who didst for us endure,
Make us see thy great salvation,
Seal us with thy promise sure;
And present us in thy glory

To thy Father cleansed and pure.

4 Prince and Author of salvation,
Be thy boundless love our theme!
Jesus, praise to thee be given

By the world thou didst redeem,
With the Father and the Spirit,
Lord of majesty supreme! Amen.

274

HA

Henry J. Pye, 1851

AIL to the Lord who comes,
Comes to his temple gate;

Not with his angel host,
Not in his kingly state;
No shouts proclaim him nigh,
No crowds his coming wait;

2 But, borne upon the throne
Of Mary's gentle breast,
Watched by her duteous love,
In her fond arms at rest:
Thus to his Father's house

He comes, the heavenly Guest.

3 Hail to the great First-born
Whose ransom price they pay!
The Son, before all worlds;
The Child of man, to-day;
That he might ransom us
Who still in bondage lay.

4 O Light of all the earth,

Thy children wait for thee!
Come to thy temples here,
That we, from sin set free,
Before thy Father's face
May all presented be! Amen.

Six 6's

John Ellerton, 1880