Imatges de pàgina
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AT THE SECOND VESPERS.

This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger efore Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.MATT. XI.

"Quid moras nectis? Domino jubenti."

WHY linger'st thou, great John? thy Lord commands;

Yea, He who washes souls with living fires More pure than liquid lightnings, He requires And bears the cleansing river from Thy hands.

How sunk thy soul, when there in Jordan's bed
He bow'd his head, before thee all unmeet
To take the sandals from His sacred feet,
Before thee bow'd His more than holy head!

See from the heav'ns, descending like a dove,
There hovers now a brightly-glowing cloud;
The unutterable voice is heard aloud,
The awful Three in One, below, above.

But thou art bent to preach the avenging rod
Of justice, and, the flag of peace unfurl'd,
The victim come to cleanse the guilty world,-
To point out the unspotted Lamb of God.

Careless of thine own honour, thou to cease
Didst hasten, like the star before the day,
Willing thyself to vanish hence away,—
'Tis meet that thou depart, and He increase.

But not alone shalt thou with thy life's breath Bear witness, one thing yet to thee remains, Boldly the truth to speak, and bear the chains, And go before thy Lord in murderous death.

In Thee our strains shall end, Thee ever sing,
The eternal Father, and the eternal Son,
And the eternal Spirit, Three in One,

Whom heav'n and earth adore, sole God and King.

ST. PAUL.

I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of eech or of wisdom; for I determined not to know any thing nong you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.-1 COR. ii.

ENOUGH, O Paul, enough, and now
A crown in Heav'n awaits thy brow,
Thy earthly toils are nearly done,
Thy heavenly prize is all but won;
Long toss'd by ills on land and sea,
The shore is all but gain'd by thee.

Long time 'mid stonings, rods, and chains,
Watchings and cares and dying pains,
Thee Christ upon His cross doth hold,
In daily dyings now grown old;

He bids thee now no more remain,
And unto thee to die is gain.

Love's tender bowels yearning strong,—
They for whom thou didst toil so long

In travailings of second birth,

Thy children hold thee still to earth :
The time for thy release is come,

And ready is thy heavenly home.

When 'mid the Twelve thy throne is set,
And we shall be for judgment met,

May we whom from the dead of night
God calls in thee to see His light,
For ever with the angelic host
Sing Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

AT THE MATTINS.

Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excel lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; that I may know Him, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.-PHILIP. iii.

"Sudore sat tuo fides."

YES, thou hast drain'd thy Master's cup,

His bitter woes ador'd,

And by thy sufferings hast fill'd up

The suffering of thy Lord.

Not only on thy body borne
Thy Master's mark impress'd,
But He within thy spirit worn
Himself doth manifest.

So, holy Paul, thou liv'st no more,
Art dead with Him that died;
But in thy bosom evermore

Doth live the Crucified.

Then rise aloof, and the third heav'n, Once heard, shall now to Thee, From out its inmost fountains given, Break everlastingly.

O in thy teaching, while we may,

Still let us more abide,

And follow thee on Christ's blest way, The follower and the guide.

Grant this, O Thou in Spirit one,

Thrice holy, One and Three,

And ever be to Thee alone,
All glory be to Thee.

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