Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.
“There one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called.”
—Epistle for the Day.
Ages and empires, thrones, and throneless kings,
Science, and art, with all the Poet sings
Of grief or glory, pomp or state, depart,—
But Thou, fond Mother of the faithful, art
On earth a Miracle of during might!—
Pleading to Heaven for sacramental right;
Though rent by tyrant-wrong, and stained by sin,
True in thy centre to the Christ within.
Speak, Parent! then, to each rebellious child,
And homeward
fetch the fearful, and defiled;
Cry to dread Sacrilege,—God's wealth restore!
And melt stern Faction, till it “sin no more.”
Thine is a Voice, would man but hear it well,
With more than music in its deepest spell,
Touching the soul through all its myriad chords
With love-tones, caught from dying martyr-words.
Soul of the saints! celestial Paraclete!
Open faith's inward ear, and make it meet
To listen ever, with a child-like awe,
And hear Thy language in the Church's law.
In fast and festival, or frequent prayer,
Breathe we, O Lord! Thy temple's solemn air;
Bow the bold heart, or, bend the suppliant knee
And thrill man's time with God's eternity.
Whate'er the truth our ancient Mother speak,
To curb the sinful, or sustain the weak,
To calm or chasten, to absolve or bind,
Sooth the wild heart, or help the wearied mind,—
Be ours the listening soul, and loving will,
By faith to learn what duty must fulfil,
E'en when to Discipline pale Conscience yields,
And proves by penance what the power She wields.
For, oh! her Voice, maternally the same,
Comes to each sainted heart with hallowed claim,
Speaking, at once, of holiness and heaven,
Yet, ever warbling with that word,—“forgiven!”
Church of our God! all life to Thee pertains,
Its hopes and fears, its pleasures and its pains,—
From dawning reason, down to very death
Thy words are quicken'd by Emanuel's breath.
Believe, and do,—be this our wisdom all,
While through the Church we hear the Spirit call,
And feel, as onward years to glory run,
The accent varies, but her Voice is one.
