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!
Also the following:
69 Within the Father's house.
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.
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 may render
His last account to Thee!
The Annunciation.
HE angel sped on wings of light,
With wondrous tidings laden;
He came from heaven's unclouded height
To greet a lowly maiden:
2 For God upon her low estate
Had looked with royal favor;
And all earth's kindreds celebrate
The mighty gift He gave her.
3 Oh, awful bliss! that from her womb
Should spring the Uncreated,
The great and holy One, for Whom
The world so long had waited.
4 O Son divine! we fain would trace
Thy mother's steps so lowly,
Her joys and woes, her saintly grace,
Her life so calm and holy.
5 But lo! as all too near we press,
A veil the scene enfoldeth!
No tongue may sing its loveliness,
No eye its peace beholdeth!
6 And as we read with kindling eye
This day's all-gracious story,
The blessed mother passeth by,
And Thine is all the glory!
NOW, the blessed Dayspring
Cometh from on high;
Now, the world's Redeemer,
To her aid, draws nigh;
Bearer of the tidings,
From the throne of light,
To a lowly maiden,
Speeds an angel bright.
2 In the chosen daughter
Of King David's line,
God fulfills the promise
Of King Ahaz' sign:
Gabriel hath spoken;
Mary hath believed;
And, behold a virgin
Hath a Son conceived.
3 Though He take our nature
Linked to low estate,
Though He stoop to suffer,
Yet shall He be great;
Though His crown and sceptre
Be of thorn and reed,
His shall be the kingdom
Sworn to David's Seed.
4 Light to light the Gentiles
Bending at His throne;
Glory of His people,
When His sway they own;
He shall reign forever,
King of kings confessed,
And all tribes and kindreds
Shall, in Him, be blest.
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 favored 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.
E praise Thy grace, O Saviour,
What 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.
4 Thy love Saint Mark hath numbered
Among the blessèd Four,
And all the world rejoiceth
To learn his Gospel-lore.
5 O Lord, our human weakness
With pitying eye behold;
Uplift the fainting spirit,
And make the coward bold.
6 O Jesu, glorious Victor
O'er all the hosts of sin,
In us Thy strength make perfect,
In us the victory win.
St. Philip and St. James.
HERE is one way, and only one,
Out of our gloom, and sin, and care,
To that fair land where shines no sun
Because the face of God is there.
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