The Sanctuary A Companion in Verse for the English Prayer Book. By Robert Montgomery |
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Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin.
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 | The Sanctuary |  |
Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin.
“Thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the Temple.”
—Collect for the Day.
Around us, though we trace them not,
Beat lone and loving hearts,
Who sanctify some quiet spot
By all which grace imparts;
Far from the rude-voiced world retir'd,
In secresy they dwell,
By faith, and not by flesh, inspir'd,—
Fond Angels know them well.
Beat lone and loving hearts,
Who sanctify some quiet spot
By all which grace imparts;
Far from the rude-voiced world retir'd,
In secresy they dwell,
By faith, and not by flesh, inspir'd,—
Fond Angels know them well.
Prophetic heart and prescient eye
To such by God are giv'n,
Who scan His footsteps in the sky
And token-signs from heaven,—
Which men who love the whirl of life,
Self-blinded cannot see;
Lost in that harsh and hurried strife
Which hides eternity.
To such by God are giv'n,
Who scan His footsteps in the sky
And token-signs from heaven,—
Which men who love the whirl of life,
Self-blinded cannot see;
Lost in that harsh and hurried strife
Which hides eternity.
To watch and wait, to weep and pray,
Nor fear to face alone
That noiseless and unnoticed way
To none but Christians, known,
For them is privilege and peace,
A paradise within,
Who sigh on earth for heaven's release,—
An Exodus from sin!
Nor fear to face alone
That noiseless and unnoticed way
To none but Christians, known,
For them is privilege and peace,
A paradise within,
Who sigh on earth for heaven's release,—
An Exodus from sin!
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So lived the saints of hoary time,
The Lord's elect, indeed,
Impassion'd by a hope sublime
To view almighty Seed!—
Divine Consoler of the race
In human nature born,
In Whom Jehovah's unveil'd face
Brightens this world forlorn.
The Lord's elect, indeed,
Impassion'd by a hope sublime
To view almighty Seed!—
Divine Consoler of the race
In human nature born,
In Whom Jehovah's unveil'd face
Brightens this world forlorn.
Thus, Simeon down to ripe old age
Kept a devoted soul;
And Anna, with a deep presage
Oft through the temple stole;
For Priest and Prophetess conceal'd
One passionate desire,—
In Flesh to hail his God reveal'd,
And then, from earth retire.
Kept a devoted soul;
And Anna, with a deep presage
Oft through the temple stole;
For Priest and Prophetess conceal'd
One passionate desire,—
In Flesh to hail his God reveal'd,
And then, from earth retire.
He comes at last, how secretly!
Gentle as gliding dove,
Nor earth, nor heaven exclaims, “'tis He,
The Lord of worlds above.”
Nature her wonted calm retains,
Nor voice nor vision tells
The everlasting God who reigns,—
In yon frail Infant dwells!
Gentle as gliding dove,
Nor earth, nor heaven exclaims, “'tis He,
The Lord of worlds above.”
Nature her wonted calm retains,
Nor voice nor vision tells
The everlasting God who reigns,—
In yon frail Infant dwells!
But Simeon in his priestly arms
Cradl'd the awful Child;
And while he saw those living charms
Which on him look'd and smil'd,
Oh, Woman! high o'er women blest
Pure mother of our Lord,
Was ever babe like Thine caress'd,
Who was th' Incarnate Word?
Cradl'd the awful Child;
And while he saw those living charms
Which on him look'd and smil'd,
Oh, Woman! high o'er women blest
Pure mother of our Lord,
Was ever babe like Thine caress'd,
Who was th' Incarnate Word?
What thrills of throbbing wonder ran
Through agèd Simeon's heart
As weeping rapture thus began,
“Lord, let me hence depart,
For now my trancèd eyes have seen
Salvation's light at last,—
On Whom since time and woe have been
Thy people's hopes were cast!”
Through agèd Simeon's heart
As weeping rapture thus began,
“Lord, let me hence depart,
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Salvation's light at last,—
On Whom since time and woe have been
Thy people's hopes were cast!”
And, hath the scene for us no spell,
No sign, or symbol, there,
Whose meanings to Devotion tell
The vision-power of prayer?—
Far otherwise our Church proclaims,
Who, with th' Eternal Child,
St. Mary and her vestal claims
Reveres as undefiled.
No sign, or symbol, there,
Whose meanings to Devotion tell
The vision-power of prayer?—
Far otherwise our Church proclaims,
Who, with th' Eternal Child,
St. Mary and her vestal claims
Reveres as undefiled.
And where, but in Thy Temple, God,
Didst Thou in flesh appear,
Whose courts had been for ages trod
By Levite, Saint, and Seer?
So is it now, if souls desire
Visions of Christ to view,—
They love to feed the altar-fire
With incense ever new.
Didst Thou in flesh appear,
Whose courts had been for ages trod
By Levite, Saint, and Seer?
So is it now, if souls desire
Visions of Christ to view,—
They love to feed the altar-fire
With incense ever new.
The temple is their home of truth,
The house of peace and prayer
Hallow'd alike by age and youth,
Who seek Jehovah there
By laud, or litany, or hymn;—
And, touch'd by awe divine,
Commingle with the Seraphim
Who crowd that mercy-shrine.
The house of peace and prayer
Hallow'd alike by age and youth,
Who seek Jehovah there
By laud, or litany, or hymn;—
And, touch'd by awe divine,
Commingle with the Seraphim
Who crowd that mercy-shrine.
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