I.
‘The Earth is the Lord's.’
I
Lord of the Lords of all the earth!
Lord of the souls of men!
From Thee all heavenly gifts have birth;
To Thee return again!
II
The lightnings flashed from off Thy throne
Fill Heaven and Earth with light;
And by that living flame alone
Men read the world aright.
III
On every crown and sceptre shed
Thy beams of glory shine;
And burn round every Father's head,
That rules by right Divine.
IV
The Priests by thee anointed, stand
Beside his altar, each;
And all the Wise, a Prophet-band,
What Thou hast taught them teach.
V
Thy voice, O Father, rolls around
The world for evermore;
The speech we know not but the sound
In silence we adore.
VI
The Heavens themselves repose thereon:
Thereon the Earth is stayed:
And seasons change, and rivers run
By Thee ordained and swayed.
II.
PEACE.
I
We lead a gentle life below:
Our days, that seem to pass,
Glide on and blend—before Thy throne
Thus spreads the sea of glass.
II
One image fills that crystal sea;
One light o'er all doth shine:
Yet every separate drop hath power
That radiance to enshrine.
III
Nor less in unity and light
True brethren, we abide;
‘Like drops of Hermon's dew’ that still
Into each other slide.
IV
Eternal glory, thanks and praise
To Thee, O God, to Thee,
Who buildest all the peace of men
Upon that prime decree:
V
That he who loves the Lord his God
Should hold all creatures dear;
And whoso fears his God, henceforth
Should feel no baser fear.
III.
I
‘He giveth His beloved sleep.’
The haughty sow the wind:
The storm they sow; the tempest reap;
But rest they cannot find.
II
In sleep itself their furrowed brows,
That care-worn mark retain;
Avenger of the guilt it shows,
The curse and brand of Cain!
III
Rest is of God. He doth not sleep;
But while His children rest
His hand outstretched and still doth keep
O'er earth, their shadowed nest.
IV
His holy Angels chaunt around,
To chase dark dreams away,
That slumbers innocent and sound
May leave serene the day.
IV.
I
In that cold cave with spices sweet
When Christ, our Lord, lay dead,
An Angel sat beside His feet,
An Angel by His head.
II
All night their eyes to Heaven they raised
Their wings around Him spread
All day on those dark eyelids gazed
But not a word they said.
III
And when the morn sabbatical
Its Paschal light had spread,
A chrysome robe o'er Earth's dark ball
To Heaven those Angels sped.
IV
Keep, holy Angels, keep, O keep
Such vigil by our bed:
Calm visions from the urns of sleep,
O'er us calm visions shed!
V
But when we wake to morning life
And night's pure calm is fled
Stay near us in our daily strife,
Or we are worse than dead!
V.
I
The stars shine bright while earth is dark
While all the woods are dumb
How clear those far off silver chimes
From tower and turret come!
II
Chilly but sweet the midnight air:
And lo! with every sound
Down from the ivy-leaf a drop
Falls glittering to the ground.
III
'Twas night when Christ was born on earth;
Night heard His faint, first cry;
While Angels carolled round the star
Of the Epiphany.
IV
Alas! and is our love too weak
To meet Him on His way?
To pray for nations in their sleep?
For Love then let us pray!
V
Pray for the millions slumbering now:
The sick, who cannot sleep:
O may those sweet sounds waft them thoughts
As peaceful, and as deep.
VI
Pray for the unholy and the vain:
O may that pure-toned bell
Disperse the Demon Powers of Air,
And evil Dreams dispel!
VII
Pray for the aged, and the poor;
The crown-encompassed head;
The friends of youth, now far away;
The dying; and the dead.
VIII
And ever let us wing our prayer
With praise; and ever say
Glory to God Who makes the night
Benignant as the day!
VI.
I
A low sweet voice from out the brake
Provoked a loud reply:
Now half the birds are half awake;
They feel the morning nigh.
II
Fainting beneath her load of dreams
The Moon inclines her brows,
Expectant, towards those mightier beams
That grant her toils repose.
III
Long streaks, the prophets of the Sun,
Illume the dusk, grey hill:
But still the heart of Heaven is dun;
The day is virgin still!
IV
O Christ! ere yet beheld on earth
How oft, incarnate Word,
Thy Prophets heralded Thy birth!
Alas, how seldom heard!
V
Rise, holy Brethren, rise, and sing
A prayer: and while we pray
The morn shall fan with heavenly wing
Our lethargy away.
VI
Burst Thou, O God, these chains of flesh!
These languid eyes inspire:
Our spirits make as morning fresh,
And pure as solar fire:
VII
And grant us, fronting thus the East,
When all the heavenly Powers
Come forth to deck the bridal feast,
A place among Thy bowers!
VIII
Come, Lord and Master! come and take
At last Thy ransomed home:
Bid all Thy faithful dead awake;
And may Thy Kingdom come!
VII.
CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE.
I
With virgin heart, undazzled eye,
The Virgin-born went on
Each snare surmounted or passed by,
Until His task was done.
II
With bleeding feet but lifted head
The waste of life He trod:
Tinging, each step, with holy red
The consecrated sod.
III
Those steps our earth doth yet retain:
And when dark vapours hide
That Sun which lights our pilgrim-train
She too can be our guide.
IV
Father of Him and us! Thy grace
On us and all bestow
Who seek the goal He sought, to trace
His footmarks in the snow!
V
O joy to follow Him in hope
For days, for months, for years:
Our steps in turn o'er His to drop
And o'er His blood our tears!
VIII.
TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I
The wind rang out from depths of woods
And pealed through valleys bent
Among the echoing hills like tubes
Of some vast instrument.
Its sound we heard; but know not whence
It came, nor whither went.
II
The wind upon our forehead blows:
In gleams of lambent flame
The sunbeams flash from wave and leaf:
The hour is now the same
As when to Christ's anointed Twelve
That promised Spirit came.
III
The sound as of a rushing wind
Before His wings He flung:
And leaped on those uplifted brows
In many a flaming tongue!—
O breathe on us Thy seven-fold powers:
O dwell our hearts among!
IV
Live Thou in Christ's mysterious Vine
Until her branches spread
Among the stars—to them as flowers
'Mid locks of one new-wed:
And clasp in their descending arch
The Earth's wide bridal-bed!
