1706

ST. MATTHEW xx. 30. Behold, two blind men sitting by the way-side, when they heard that JESUS passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy upon us, O LORD, Thou Son of David.

31. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O LORD, Thou Son of David, have mercy.

32. And JESUS stood still and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33. They said, LORD, that our eyes may be opened. 34. So JESUS had compassion on them, and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

O lift the veil, Thou GOD of Love,
That dims our blinded sight,
The darkness from our souls remove,
And pour on us Thy light.

Do Thou our path to Thee direct,
And guide us with Thy grace,
Till near Thy Throne, 'midst Thine elect,
We see Thee face to face.

Amen.

STAINER.

1707

PROVERBS iii. 9. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase.

10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

19. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.

20. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

DEUTERONOMY XXXiii. 27. The eternal GOD is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:

28. Israel shall dwell then alone in safety: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heaven shall drop down dew.

29. Happy art thou, O Israel, happy art thou! who is like unto thee, O people, happy art thou! saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, the sword of thy excellency! Hallelujah! STAINER.

1708

LAMENTATIONS i. 12. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow which is done unto Me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger.

From the Throne of His Cross, the King of grief
Cries out to the world of unbelief:

Oh! men and women afar and nigh,

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

I laid My eternal power aside,

I came from the Home of the Glorified,

A Babe, in a lowly cave to lie;

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

I wept for the sorrows and pains of men,

I healed them, and helped them, and loved them-but

then

They shouted against Me-Crucify!

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

Behold Me and see: pierced thro' and thro'
With countless sorrows-and all is for you;
For you I suffer, for you I die,

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

Oh! men and women, your deeds of shame,
Your sins without reason and number and name;
I bear them all on the Cross on high;
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

Is it nothing to you that I bow My Head?
And nothing to you that My Blood is shed?
O perishing souls to you I cry,

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

O come unto Me-by the woes I have borne,
By the dreadful scourge, and the crown of thorn,
By these, I implore you to hear My cry,
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?
O come unto Me-this awful price,
Redemption's tremendous sacrifice-
Is paid for you-Oh! why will ye die?
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

(From "The Crucifixion," Nos. 17, 18.) STAINer.

1709

ECCLESIASTICUS iv. 31. Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou should'st repay.

XXXV. 10. Give unto the Most High according as He hath enriched thee.

iv. 4. Reject not the supplication of the afflicted, neither turn thy face from a poor man.

vii. 35. Be not slow to visit the sick, for that shall make thee to be beloved.

LORD, shower upon us from above
The sacred gift of mutual love;
Each other's wants may we supply,
And reign together in the sky.

xviii. 25. When thou hast enough, remember the time of hunger; and when thou art rich, think upon poverty and need. STAINER.

1710

Lo! summer comes again,
And after springtide rain,

The quickening sunbeams flood the world with light :
See, high in night's clear skies,
The joy of longing eyes,

The moon of harvest shines serenely bright.

O LORD of Heaven and earth,
Who givest joy and mirth,

Open our lips to show Thy wondrous praise:
Our hearts are dull and cold,
We leave Thy love untold,

O give us strength our anthems glad to raise.
Each month we sow or reap,
Each hour we toil or sleep,

Thou givest life and joy, and Thou alone:
O grant to each and all,

When death's dark shadows fall,

To stand true workers round our Master's Throne.

So life's long task-work o'er,
Set free for evermore,

We shall sit down at Thy great Harvest Feast;

Reaper and sower met,

The burning heat forget,

And taste God's love, the greatest as the least.

Yea, LORD, Thou too dost claim
The sower's mystic name;

Thou sendest forth Thy reapers to the field;
O be it theirs to bear

The full corn in the ear,

When Thy true seed its hundred-fold shall yield.
Root out the evil tares,

Earth's vexing grief and cares,

Bind the hot blasts that wither and destroy;
And when the hour is come

To bring the full sheaves home,

Bid men and angels share Thy Harvest joy. Amen.
STAINER.

1711

PSALM 1xxxv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

II. Truth shall flourish out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.

*This day the heavens and earth are one,
For CHRIST is born to-day.
This day is God to earth abased,

And man in heaven securely raised,
For CHRIST is born to-day.

The GOD that dwells above the skies
In unseen majesty,
This day is seen in fleshly guise
Of human frailty.

Therefore to Him our songs we raise,
Songs of glory, songs of praise.
For CHRIST is born to-day.
To GOD on high be glory given,

Be peace divine on earth,

The peace that comes to us from heaven
By this Thy wondrous birth.

Saviour, to Thee our joyful hymns we raise;
Thine the glory, Thine the praise. Hallelujah. Amen.

STAINER.

*From the Offices of the Greek Church.

1712

SEVEN OF THE GREATER ANTIPHONS.

No. 1.-O Sapientia.

O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come, and shew us the way of understanding.

No. 2.-O Adonai.

O LORD and Ruler of the House of Israel, Who appearedst unto Moses in a flame of fire in the bush, and gavest unto him the Law in Sinai : Come, and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

No. 3.-O Radix Jesse.

O Root of Jesse, Who standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom kings shall shut their mouths, unto Whom the Gentiles shall pray: Come, and deliver us, and tarry not.

No. 4.-O Clavis David.

O Key of David, and sceptre of the House of Israel, Thou that openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth: Come, and bring the prisoner out of his prison-house, who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.

No. 5.-0 Oriens.

O Dayspring! Brightness of the everlasting Light, and Sun of Righteousness: Come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

No. 6.-0 Rex Gentium.

O King and Desire of all nations, Thou Corner-stone, Who hast made both one: Come, and save man, whom Thou formedst from the clay.

No. 7.-O Emmanuel.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, Hope of all nations, and their Saviour: Come, and save us, O LORD our God.

STAINER.