272

C.M.

ORD, who fulfillest thus anew

Thine own blest dying prayer,

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

2 When foes the 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

That Father, and coequal Son,
And Spirit evermore. Amen.

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.

8.7.8.7.8.7

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.

Henry J. Pye, 1851

274

HA

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.

Six 6's

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.

275

John Ellerton, 1880

PRA

ST. MATTHIAS

RAISE to the heavenly Wisdom
Who knows the hearts of all,

The saintly life's beginnings,
The traitor's secret fall;
Our own ascended Master,
Who heard his Church's cry,
Made known his guiding presence,
And ruled her from on high.

2 Elect in his foreknowledge,
To fill the lost one's place;
He formed his chosen vessel
By hidden gifts of grace;
Then, by the lot's disposing,
He lifted up the poor,
And set him with the Princes
On high for evermore.

7.6.7.6. D.

3 Still guide thy Church, chief Shepherd,
Her losses still renew;

Be thy dread keys entrusted

To faithful hands and true;
Apostles of thy choosing
May all her rulers be,

That each with joy will render
His last account to thee! Amen.

John Ellerton, 1888

276

PRAI

THE ANNUNCIATION

RAISE we the Lord this day,
This day so long foretold,

Whose promise shone with cheering ray
On waiting saints of old.

2 The prophet gave the sign

For faithful men to read;
A virgin born of David's line

Shall bear the promised Seed.

3 Ask not how this should be,
But worship and adore,
Like her whom heaven's majesty
Came down to shadow o'er.

4 Meekly she bowed her head
To hear the gracious word,
Mary, the pure and lowly maid,
The favoured of the Lord.

5 Blessed shall be her name

In all the Church on earth,

Through whom that wondrous mercy came,
The incarnate Saviour's birth.

S.M.

Anonymous. 1846

277

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.

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

3 He to the lowly soul

Doth still himself impart;

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

4 Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee. Amen.

WR

ST. MARK

S.M.

John Keble, 1819, alt., cento

E praise thy grace, O Saviour,
That beareth with us long,

And ever out of weakness

Thy servants maketh strong.

2 The saint, who left his comrades,
And turned back from the fight,
Behold at last victorious

In thy prevailing might!

3 From thee, Lord, came the courage
Once more to front the host:

Thy strength, most mighty Saviour,
In weakness shineth most.

7.6.7.6

278