And thence, when perils close around, Thou makest us maintain our ground: 'Tis thy right arm subdues our foes, Thy hand the victor's prize bestows.

All praise to Jesus Christ be given, The conqueror who returns to heaven : With praise exalt, ye heavenly host, The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

EVENSONG.

(Jesu, nostra, redemptio. No. 73.)

O CHRIST, our hope, our heart's desire,
Redemption's only spring;
Creator of the world art thou,
Its Saviour and its King.

How vast the mercy and the love

Which laid our sins on Thee:
And led Thee to a cruel death,
To set thy people free!

But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid:
And Thou art on thy Father's throne,
In glorious robes arrayed.

Oh, may thy mighty love prevail

Our sinful souls to spare!

Oh, may we come before Thy throne,

And find acceptance there!

Oh, Christ, be thou our present joy,
Our future great reward;

Our only glory may it be,
To glory in the Lord.

Amen.

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY.

NOCTURN.

(Felix dies mortalibus. No. 74.)

Он, 'twas a day both bright and good,
To us poor mortals given,

When Jesus opened by his blood

The long-closed doors of heaven!

For Jesus is his people's head,
Where He is, we shall be:

If we are by His spirit led,
His glory we shall see.

In body He is far from hence,
In spirit He is near :

E'en now His blessed influence

The fainting soul can cheer.

But oh! that day, to wicked men,
What terrors 'twill disclose,

That day when He shall come again,
To rid Him of his foes.

The Judge, by sinners slain, that day
His office shall resume,

And strike His judges with dismay

At their tremendous doom.

His soul to death He freely gave
To set poor sinners free:

Those, then, whom Jesus will not save,
What must their portion be?

To Christ, the future Judge, be praise
From all the angel-host:
Like worship to the Father raise,
And to the holy Ghost.

MATINS.

(Sensus quis horror percutit. No. 75.)

WHAT terrors shake my trembling soul! Behold! the skies are riven;

And Christ appears in clouds of light, Amid the hosts of heaven.

The trumpet sounds: the opening graves

Obey the dread command;

And angels force the risen dead

Around their Judge to stand.

Now all who left the world for Christ,

By Christ are raised on high: Yea, all who loved their lowly God,

And shared his poverty.

86

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY.

But lo! the cross, which once the Jew
And Gentile dared despise,

The saint's delight, the sinner's scorn,
Shines brightly in the skies.

That cross those wicked men behold,
But find no mercy there :
It only serves to seal their fate,
And heighten their despair.

Lord, may we never to such guilt,
Or to such downfall come !
Oh, save us from the sinner's path,
And from the sinner's doom!

Oh, future Judge, to thy great name

All glory we afford !

The Father, and the Holy Ghost
Be equally adored.

EVENSONG.

(Nobis Olympo redditus. No. 76.)

Oн, Christ, who hast prepared a place
For us around thy throne of grace,

We

pray thee, lift our hearts above, And draw them with the cords of love!

Source of all good, thou, gracious Lord,
Art our exceeding great reward;
How transient is our present pain

How boundless our eternal gain!

With open face and joyful heart
We then shall see thee as thou art:
Our love shall never cease to glow,
Our praise shall never cease to flow.

Thy never-failing grace to prove,
A surety of thine endless love,
Send down thy Holy Ghost, to be
The raiser of our souls to Thee.

O future Judge, Eternal Lord,
Thy name be hallowed and adored:
To God the Father, king of heaven,
And Holy Ghost, like praise be given.

Amen.

WHITSUNDAY.

EVE.

(0 Christi, qui noster poli. No. 77.)

O JESU, who art gone before
To thy blest realms of light,
Oh, thither may our spirits soar,
And wing their upward flight!

Make us to those delights aspire,
Which spring from love to Thee,
Which pass the carnal heart's desire,
Which faith alone can see.