 | Sequences, Hymns, and Other Ecclesiastical Verses |  |
11
Sequence for Passion-tide.
Night is on the unransomed nations:
night without a single ray:
Night of anguish, night of terror:
night, and not a hope of day.
night without a single ray:
Night of anguish, night of terror:
night, and not a hope of day.
And the captives weep in fetters:
and their spirits in them melt,
At the fullness of the darkness:
darkness such as may be felt.
and their spirits in them melt,
At the fullness of the darkness:
darkness such as may be felt.
But in other sort, that midnight
round their watch-fires' blaze they feast,
Gebal, Ammon, Moab, Edom,
all the children of the East.
round their watch-fires' blaze they feast,
Gebal, Ammon, Moab, Edom,
all the children of the East.
12
There in fiercest wise they revel:
there they pitch, secure from dread:
Ah! they little know the Puissance
of the Cake of Barley Bread!
there they pitch, secure from dread:
Ah! they little know the Puissance
of the Cake of Barley Bread!
Ah! they little guess the wonder,
far beyond an angel's ken,
Wine that blossoms into virgins,—
Corn that feeds the mighty men!
far beyond an angel's ken,
Wine that blossoms into virgins,—
Corn that feeds the mighty men!
Lo, He comes, the promised Gideon,—
comes to turn the world's new page,
Angel of the Mighty Counsel,
Father of the Future Age:
comes to turn the world's new page,
Angel of the Mighty Counsel,
Father of the Future Age:
Comes to gather round His standard
those three hundred, faint and few:
‘Set the lamps within the pitchers:
what I do, shall ye do too.’
those three hundred, faint and few:
‘Set the lamps within the pitchers:
what I do, shall ye do too.’
13
Come to storm the foeman's trenches,
in our weakness, not His might;
Shattered is that Mortal Pitcher:
freed is that Eternal Light.
in our weakness, not His might;
Shattered is that Mortal Pitcher:
freed is that Eternal Light.
Till His warfare be accomplished,
till He drain the bitter cup,
Let my Lord, the King of Israel,
stay Him in His chariot up;
till He drain the bitter cup,
Let my Lord, the King of Israel,
stay Him in His chariot up;
Stay Him till He deal the death-blow—
stay Him till He bow the Head—
Stay Him till He smite the smiter
with the “It is finished.”
stay Him till He bow the Head—
Stay Him till He smite the smiter
with the “It is finished.”
Then, as Satan and his legions
on their headlong ruin shoot,
Let their way be dark and slippery,—
let the Angel persecute;
on their headlong ruin shoot,
Let their way be dark and slippery,—
let the Angel persecute;
14
Let the Light that from the Victor
now streams forth on ransomed eyes,
(Like the Beatific Vision
on the hills of Paradise,)
now streams forth on ransomed eyes,
(Like the Beatific Vision
on the hills of Paradise,)
Be for them, the abiding terror:
be for them, the anguish sore;
Be the fullness of the blackness
of the darkness evermore!
be for them, the anguish sore;
Be the fullness of the blackness
of the darkness evermore!
We have heard, O Son of David,
Thou from Whom all comfort springs,
That the kings of Israel's sceptre
still are mercifullest kings:
Thou from Whom all comfort springs,
That the kings of Israel's sceptre
still are mercifullest kings:
Though Thine own Arm wrought salvation
when hell's squadrons were o'erthrown;
Though alone Thy followers left Thee,
Master, leave not us alone;
when hell's squadrons were o'erthrown;
Though alone Thy followers left Thee,
Master, leave not us alone;
15
For in vain we gird our armour,
those Thy foes and ours to check,
For in vain descend the valley,
There to fight with Amalek,
those Thy foes and ours to check,
For in vain descend the valley,
There to fight with Amalek,
Unless Thou, upon the mountain,
Fellow-feeler with distress,
Lift for us Thy hands in pleading,
lift them also us to bless.
Fellow-feeler with distress,
Lift for us Thy hands in pleading,
lift them also us to bless.
Grant us patience, grant us courage,
grant us this one true intent,
If we take hard blows, to deal them:
both to spend and to be spent.
grant us this one true intent,
If we take hard blows, to deal them:
both to spend and to be spent.
Joyful if the mortal pitcher
In thy cause be dashed away,
So the light may do Thee service,
Which Thy glory shall repay:
In thy cause be dashed away,
So the light may do Thee service,
Which Thy glory shall repay:
16
Victors if, with victor brethren,
by the Sea of Glass we stand,
See the King in all His beauty,
and the very Far-off Land.
by the Sea of Glass we stand,
See the King in all His beauty,
and the very Far-off Land.
| Sequences, Hymns, and Other Ecclesiastical Verses | |