THE TRANSFIGURATION.

AT THE FIRST AND SECOND VESPERS.

The sun shall be ashamed when the Lord of hosts shall reign. in Mount Zion, and before His ancients gloriously.—Is. xxiv.

"Hoc jussa quondam rumpimus."

BRING, happy day, to light

Things which dark-mantling Night

In envious silence hath so long been stealing; When, on the mountain floor,

The Son of man His glory was revealing : And, through His flesh's shrouding shrine, Illuminating ran the effluence Divine.

The full irradiance flows,

To every limb it goes,

With snowy light His fiery garments blending;

ow awe-struck silence quakes,

nd the live thunder speaks,

From the bright cloud in majesty descending; here sounds the unutterable Voice, roclaiming His dear Son, the everlasting choice.

With low-brow'd awe profound,

e silent on the ground,

The Lord of all is in His holy hill;

nd now,

with voice of fear,

et angel hosts draw near,

While all the listening world is still,

o sing the Spirit and the Word,

And Father, whose dread voice was in the thunder heard.

X

AT MIDNIGHT.

O Lord my God, Thou art become exceeding glorious, Thou a clothed with majesty and honour. Thou deckest Thyself with light as it were with a garment.-PSALM civ.

"Quam nos potenter allicis."

How strongly and how sweetly still
Thou, Christ, dost draw the human will,
And gently prove ;

Whether Thou dost Thyself reveal,

Or from our senses dost conceal,
"Tis both in love.

The Father calls, and for Thy sake
Shall us too for His children take;

And, through Heav'n's door,

The glory which doth break on Thee
Are rays of immortality

That go before.

What saith the Father, speaking loud?
And what the Son beneath the cloud?
Now all are gone,

The shadows fleet, around again

Silence keeps watch, there doth remain
The truth alone.

Again Thou dost Thy form resume,
A Victim ready for the tomb,

And thence descend

In lowliness ineffable,

Thy Father's mandate to fulfil,
Unto the end.

O Christ, who now Thyself dost hide,
May faith our darkling spirits guide,
And firmly hold,

That when these fleshly vessels break,
We of Thy goodness may partake,
And Thee behold.

And with an undefiled tongue
May sing the Spirit, ever young,

Through Heav'n's long days,

Sing Thee, whose voice was heard aloud, Sing Thee, who wast beneath the cloud, In endless praise.

AT THE MATTINS.

See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him who speaketh from Heaven.-HEB. XII.

"Jesu dulcedo cordium."

JESU, the heart's own sweetness, and true light, Thou art the secret Fountain that o'erflows The weary soul, surpassing all delight,

In whom each anxious longing finds repose.

Stay with us, Lord, and with Thy kindly ray Enlighten our dark spirits, at whose birth Dark shades shall flee the opening eye of day, And sweetness shall revive the drooping earth.

When Thou the heart dost visit, all things seem
Made new,
Truth shines in her unclouded form
Emerging from the world as from a dream;
And Love, her face beholding, waxeth warm.

Good Jesus, while time's scroll I still unfold,
Do Thou to me Thy love make manifest,
That I, 'mid clouds that wrap me, may behold
Thine everlasting glory, and find rest.