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The Collect.
“Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit.”
—Prayer Book.
The conscious spirit of dejected earth
Hath groan'd and travail'd for that second birth
The harp of Prophecy exults to sing
And with whose glories David's numbers ring.—
Though perfect once, when Adam fell
'Twas wither'd by a wasting spell
When down on air and earth and sea
Lighted the curse of Deity,—
While that dread Nemesis which seized on man
Reach'd o'er the world, and through creation ran!
Hath groan'd and travail'd for that second birth
The harp of Prophecy exults to sing
And with whose glories David's numbers ring.—
Though perfect once, when Adam fell
'Twas wither'd by a wasting spell
When down on air and earth and sea
Lighted the curse of Deity,—
While that dread Nemesis which seized on man
Reach'd o'er the world, and through creation ran!
Dumb Matter seems intelligently grieved
As though it sympathised with man bereaved,
In dark remembrance of that Eden-crime
When flesh and spirit fell from bliss sublime:—
But Nature waits with prescient eye
For bridal glories drawing nigh,
And thus accords with saints who yearn
For throned Emanuel's bright return,
When those vile thraldoms that enchain the heart
In one vast jubilee of love depart.
As though it sympathised with man bereaved,
In dark remembrance of that Eden-crime
When flesh and spirit fell from bliss sublime:—
But Nature waits with prescient eye
For bridal glories drawing nigh,
And thus accords with saints who yearn
For throned Emanuel's bright return,
When those vile thraldoms that enchain the heart
In one vast jubilee of love depart.
And hence, in unison with mystic earth,
Saints feel the throes of supernat'ral birth,—
A deep unrest which inly yearns to share
That sinless freedom heaven and hope declare
Yet to await Thy Church, O Lord,
Where reigns Thy will and rules Thy word;
Till not one pulse of heart shall be
That throbs with no delight in Thee,
While earth and man millennially express
A second Eden, graced with holiness.
Saints feel the throes of supernat'ral birth,—
A deep unrest which inly yearns to share
That sinless freedom heaven and hope declare
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Where reigns Thy will and rules Thy word;
Till not one pulse of heart shall be
That throbs with no delight in Thee,
While earth and man millennially express
A second Eden, graced with holiness.
And blest art Thou, maternal Guide for all
Who lovingly obey thy creed and call,
(Now at the shrine where viewless Angels stand
To see men worship as their souls expand—
Thus to prepare by tones of awe
Thy children for omniscient Law
Whose purity and precept teach
Perfection souls can never reach,—
But still would realise, when faith is true
And Christ the Archetype retain'd in view.
Who lovingly obey thy creed and call,
(Now at the shrine where viewless Angels stand
To see men worship as their souls expand—
Thus to prepare by tones of awe
Thy children for omniscient Law
Whose purity and precept teach
Perfection souls can never reach,—
But still would realise, when faith is true
And Christ the Archetype retain'd in view.
Thou only Cleanser from indwelling sin,
Spirit of purity! thy reign begin;
The wav'ring pulses of regen'rate will
Though beating homeward, play imperfect, still:—
Attracted by contagious power
They vibrate through each perill'd hour;
While treason-throbs of selfish pride
Are often by the heart descried
When most it yearns before the Altar-rail
To let no Master but the Lord prevail!
Spirit of purity! thy reign begin;
The wav'ring pulses of regen'rate will
Though beating homeward, play imperfect, still:—
Attracted by contagious power
They vibrate through each perill'd hour;
While treason-throbs of selfish pride
Are often by the heart descried
When most it yearns before the Altar-rail
To let no Master but the Lord prevail!
Heart searching God! Oh, who can thus exclaim,
Nor feel the blushes of remorseful shame
Pierce through his conscience as with pangs of fire,
And silence more than quiv'ring speech inspire—
To think of man's denuded heart
Cover'd by no concealing art
Pierced through and through by That pure Eye
Whose beams the sinless angels try!—
Alas, for guilt, if when Thy truth be known
Men see no Saviour on the mercy-throne!
Nor feel the blushes of remorseful shame
Pierce through his conscience as with pangs of fire,
And silence more than quiv'ring speech inspire—
To think of man's denuded heart
Cover'd by no concealing art
Pierced through and through by That pure Eye
Whose beams the sinless angels try!—
Alas, for guilt, if when Thy truth be known
Men see no Saviour on the mercy-throne!
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Come then, sole Calmer of our spirit-fears
By all Thy sacrifice of Blood and Tears!
And so renew us with regen'rate fires
That sin may perish, as the saint aspires
By thought and action more and more
In self to sink, in Christ to soar,
And thus ethereally sublime
Break from the bonds of space and time,
Wing'd on bright hopes which waft him far away
To sinless realms where no earth-shadows play.
By all Thy sacrifice of Blood and Tears!
And so renew us with regen'rate fires
That sin may perish, as the saint aspires
By thought and action more and more
In self to sink, in Christ to soar,
And thus ethereally sublime
Break from the bonds of space and time,
Wing'd on bright hopes which waft him far away
To sinless realms where no earth-shadows play.
The fetter'd eagle when he feels his chain,
Frets at each link, and longs to fly again
Far o'er the thunder-cloud in wheeling flight
And bathe his plumage in celestial light:—
So yearns the saint from sin to part
When drags the earth-chain at his heart,
And longs with agonising sigh
Beyond this flesh-bound world to fly,
And in yon heaven of holiness to find
A perfect centre for the soaring mind.
Frets at each link, and longs to fly again
Far o'er the thunder-cloud in wheeling flight
And bathe his plumage in celestial light:—
So yearns the saint from sin to part
When drags the earth-chain at his heart,
And longs with agonising sigh
Beyond this flesh-bound world to fly,
And in yon heaven of holiness to find
A perfect centre for the soaring mind.
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