2. Invocation.
“O God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners.”
—The Litany.
Thee we invoke, Thou Father-God!
Thine erring Children all,
Who oft Perdition's way have trod
But now, their steps recall:—
Created by Thy faultless Power
We broke creation-law;
Nor can we name one conscious hour
Which no corruption saw.
Thee we invoke, Incarnate Lord!
Whose Blood almighty flow'd
And fill'd the wonders of Thy word
With all such death bestow'd:
Oh! did we live for Him Who died,
A shadow from His Cross
Would image forth the Crucified
In every scene, and loss.
Thee we invoke, in Godhead, Third!
From Sire and Son proceeding,
Who in Thy Sacraments and Word
When souls are little heeding,—
Art mystically there enshrined
As fontal Source of all
That soothes, or sanctifies mankind,
When they for mercy call.
Holy and undivided Three!
And Three in One adored,
From guilt-born anguish set us free,
And be our sins deplored
As heart-rebellions, dread and deep,
'Gainst Father, Son, and Spirit,
Like those which made Emanuel weep
When Earth despised His Merit.
Sadness and shame, and guilt and sorrow,—
Haunted by these we move;
But, Faith predicts a brighter morrow
Of calm and cloudless love.
Our pangs are great, yet Mercy reigns
Above dark nature's doom,
And out
of guilt a glory gains
Whose radiance fills the tomb!
Hail! Trinity of grace Divine,
The Sempiternal Holy,
Prostrate before the mercy-shrine,
Sackcloth'd with shame, and lowly,
Our litanies we lift on high,
And, by Thy Blood-drawn tears!
Oh, waft some whisper from yon sky
To lull tempestuous fears.
Priest of all priests! in flesh Who died,
That Man might live for ever;
God in our nature crucified!
Let sin, nor sorrow sever
That Body
of believing hearts
Who throne Thee as their King,
And, when this dying world departs,
Love's Easter-chant will sing.
