Hymns from the East

PENTECOST

Ἔργῳ, ὡς πάλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπηγγείλωIEven as Thou saidst, the Spirit came,In fiery tongues of living flame;And men were moved to spread abroad,The Wisdom of th’ Incarnate God.IIAnd nations heard the truth, and gaveTheir souls to Him who came to save;And toiling in their sins, aroseThe power of Satan to oppose.IIIEven as Thou saidst; the Spirit’s powerCame at the Pentecostal hour,And drooping souls with zeal were fired,And felt the life that power inspired.IVEven as Thou saidst, the Spirit’s voiceSpake to dull hearts, and bade rejoice;And men that dwelt in sorrow’s night,Felt hope awake as morning light.VEven as Thou saidst; His power can stillOur empty lives to fulness fill;Can charge with hope, with zeal inspire,And kindle life, and light, and fire.VIEven as Thou saidst! – O Spirit, come,Make with Thy people here Thy home;In all their need Thy gifts supply,And Christ our Lord still glorify.IO may the Spirit of all graceDescend and in our hearts abide,And what of good or ill betide,Find in them aye a resting-place.IIThere is no peace to mortals given,Save when the Spirit finds His restWithin the secret of our breast,And there inspires the calm of heaven.IIIOur earthly calms a storm presage,They whisper peace, and tempests rise,And clouds obscure the brightest skies,And winds, and waves in tumult rage.IVNo storm disturbs the heavenly peace,No whispering fills the soul with fearsAs when the brooding tempest nears,And clouds around our path increase.V’Tis lasting calm, ’tis heavenly rest;Come, Spirit of the Living God,And in our spirits shed abroadThe peace that makes the troubled blest.

COMMUNION

ILet Thy Blood in mercy poured,Let thy gracious Body broken,Be to me, O gracious LordOf Thy boundless love the token;Thou didst give Thyself for me,Now I give myself to Thee.IIThou didst die that I might live; —Blessed Lord Thou cam’st to save me;All that love of God could give,Jesus by His sorrows gave me; —Thou didst give Thyself for me,Now I give myself to Thee.IIIBy the thorns that crowned Thy brow,By the spear wound and the nailing;By the pain and death I nowClaim, O Christ, Thy love unfailing;Thou didst give Thyself for me,Now I give myself to Thee.IVWilt Thou own the gift I bring?All my penitence I give Thee;Thou art my exalted King,Of Thy matchless love forgive me; —Thou didst give Thyself for me,Now I give myself to Thee.IO Lord of bounty, let this breadBe Thy pure Body unto me;And let the wine in symbol poured,Tell of the glorious Mystery; —O let me here Thy presence feel;And all my sins in mercy heal.III am not worthy to partakeOf Thy pure Body, gracious Lord;Nor of the Blood so freely shedBy Thee, O Thou Incarnate Word;Yet grant Thy presence unto me,And let me now commune with Thee.

JUDGMENT

IWhen in the clouds the Lord appears,And angels stand around His throne;When judgment fills the soul with fears,And none can aught of sin disown; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.IIEven in Thy judgment mercy shew; —But ere that awful day awakes,Make me my guilty state to know,And from my evil courses break; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.IIIFor Thou art pitiful and kind,And Thou hast died, O Judge of men,That, ere the Judgment, I may findThe path that leads to life again; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.IVI have no penitence nor tears,I have no merit of my own;But, ah! my soul is filled with fears,And gladly would its sin disown; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.VAnd bring me nigh the throne of grace,That, ere the day of Judgment dire,I may behold Thy loving face,And flee Thine all consuming ire; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.VISwift draws the day of Judgment nigh;Wake, wake, my soul, the Judge is near!And call for mercy while thy cryCan enter His inclining ear; —Spare me, O Lord, Thy creature spare,And let my soul Thy mercy share.IThe Bridegroom comes! My soul, awake,And slumber from thine eyelids shake;Hark! in the midnight hour the cry;Bestir, my soul, for He is nigh.IINow trim your lamp, and let its lightIllume the darkness of the night;And with the tarrying host attendThe Bridegroom, as the Bridegroom’s friend.IIIHast thou no oil? O foolish soul!Why didst thou not the hours control?Why in the darkness slumber still,Without the oil your lamp to fill?IVGo, get your oil, – but no, too late!The Bridegroom’s come, and closed the gate; —“O let me knock, for He is kind,And will not leave my soul behind.”V“O let me in, my lamp’s aglow;How could I, Lord, Thy coming know?’Twas night, I slumbered, – let me in:Forgive, O Lord, forgive my sin.”VIToo late! The time has gone apace;Too late, ’tis gone, the hour of grace;O soul of mine, awake, awake,And slumber from thine eyelids shake.IO Judge of all, when sinful menTo Thy dire judgment seat are brought, —Tell not the error of my life,O tell it not.IIWhen bowed with grief my tears are shed,Because my life with sin is fraught,To angel hosts tell not my sin,O tell it not.IIIO hide the secrets of my soul,And give the pardon I have sought,And to the myriads round Thy throne,O tell them not.IVO merciful and just Thou art;In pity view my woeful lot,And shame me not because of sin, —O tell it not.II brought my merits to the throne,And set them forth in order there;I said, “O Lord, Thy servant own,And let his brow the garland wear;The grace and virtue of his life,He won as victor in the strife.”IIThe song that erstwhile filled the place,Where high the throne of Christ was set,Grew faint, as on each pensive faceJoy mixed with pain, and pity met; —Their song had told the debt they owed,And how the Christ His grace bestowed.IIIO, silence fell, so sharp and chill, —My soul to meanness pined and shrank,Forth went my cry in accent shrill,“My Lord, have I no grace to thank?”Its echo dying, lingered, sank,“My Lord, have I no grace to thank?”IVI saw His piercéd hands and side,I saw the thorn-wounds on His brow, —“My Lord, forgive my sinful pride,Accept my sore repentance now;”Then rose high heaven’s adoring prayers,My grateful song went forth with theirs.IThe time is drawing nigh,Even now the day is near,When Christ from heaven highTo Judgment shall appear; —Keep watch, my soul, in fear,The Judge of men is near.IIThen kings and princes great,The rich and poor shall meet;And high and low estate,Shall gather round His feet; —Keep watch, my soul, in fear,The Judge of men is near.IIINo crafty words shall mar,Nor sophistry distract;No parrying counsel jarWith the eternal fact; —Keep watch, my soul, in fear,The Judge of men is near.IVO Christ, in mercy then,Forbid my soul should goWith lost and ruined menDown to the place of woe; —Keep watch, my soul, in fear,The Judge of men is near.

ASPIRATIONS

II sought the Lord at early morn,When earth awoke to see the light;And to my soul a light was borneThat quelled the darkness of my night;He heard my prayer at early morn,And light into my heart was borne.III sought the Lord when noontide shone,And head and hand earth’s duties shared;“I am Thy servant, Lord, alone,”I said, and told Him how I fared;He heard my prayer as I drew near,And kept me at my task, sincere.IIII sought the Lord when evening fell,And night came gliding on apace;For I had sins my Lord to tell,And He is full of pardoning grace;He heard my prayer, and bade me rest,And in His love my soul was blest.IVAt morn, at noon, at night I’ll pray,And Thou, O Lord, my prayer wilt hear,For Thou art near my path alway,To aid, to comfort, or to cheer;No hour too early, none too late,To knock imploring at Thy gate.VO Jesus Christ, to Thee be praise,’Tis Thou hast taught my soul to pray,For Thou didst speak with God always,At morn, at noon, at close of day;And Thou hast said He hears the prayer,The longing soul breathes everywhere.IO, touch my heart, and bring to mindThe sin I should deplore;And give me grace, Thou God most kind,That I may sin no more.IIO, touch my heart till tears run fast,In penitence sincere;And may the memories of the pastTeach me to walk in fear.IIIFor I have strayed, and Thou hast sought,And I have strayed again;O, may the wanderer Thou hast broughtWithin Thy fold remain.IVO, touch my heart, till love arise,And claim me for Thine own;Then shall I learn with glad surprise,That I am Thine alone.VFor love knows no divided heart,Nor grudges service given;But gives the life in every part,And serves in earth and heaven.IThe wealth of high estate,The silver and the gold,The glory of the great,The wisdom of the old, —Death seizes all, they pass away,For all on earth is vanity.IIWhy seek the vain that dies?The life begirt by death?The fame, the power that fliesWith the expiring breath?The good that carries ill besides,And for a fleeting hour abides?IIIAre there no gains that last,To bless the soul for aye,When passing things are past,And things of earth decay?Are there no joys that linger longIn sweetness, like a heavenly song?IVArise, my soul, arise!The husks of time disdain,And wing thee to the skies,Where there is lasting gain;Where moth nor rust can mock thy toil,Nor subtle thief break through to spoil.VO Christ, for Thee we long,’Tis Thee our spirits need;They only life prolongWho on Thy bounties feed;And they have wealth, and high estate,And endless bliss who on Thee wait.II lift my hands, and with my heart,My prayer ascends to Thee;In mercy take a sinner’s part,Lord, send Thy help to me.IILo! in the mire of sin I lie,My raiment all defiled;O come and set me up on high,And save Thy fallen child.IIII cannot cleanse the filthy stains, —I can but mourn and sigh;Do what I may, the guilt remains,I fail oft’ as I try.IVIn mercy, Lord, Thy mercy send,For merciful art Thou;And prove Thyself the sinner’s Friend, —O come and help me now.VAnd let my life be ordered quite,As Thou wouldst have it be;When I am wrong, O set me right, —Lord, come and succour me.VIAnd hold me up, lest to the mireOf sin my soul return;O let Thy love my spirit fire,And base affections burn.VIIAnd glory to my God I’ll give,And glory to the Son,And to the Spirit while I live,Great, Blessed, Three in One.IArise, my soul, and gaily singThe praise of thine Immortal King;The heavens His matchless power adore, —Awake, and sing for evermore.IIThe morning dawns at His command,And lights the world o’er sea and land;And upwards, see the sun arise,To shed its glories from the skies.IIIBut falls the twilight o’er our heads,And night its sable curtain spreads;For all His kingly words obey, —The dark of night, the light of day.IVO heavenly King, in every soul,The darkness of our night control;And ’mid the blackness of that night,Speak Thou the word, “Let there be light.”VAnd as the morn from darkness springs,To speed to earth on silent wings,A dawn more glorious shall awake,And bright upon our spirits break.VIO Sun of Righteousness, arise,And fill our souls with glad surprise;Nor into dark of night decline,But aye at noontide brightly shine.VIIAll glory to the God of Might,And to the Son, the Light of light;And to the Spirit, Three in One,Eternal while the ages run.IThe King shall come when morning dawns,And light triumphant breaks;When beauty gilds the eastern hills,And life to joy awakes.IINot as of old, a little childTo bear, and fight, and die,But crowned with glory like the sun,That lights that morning sky.IIIO, brighter than the rising morn,When He, victorious rose,And left the lonesome place of death,Despite the rage of foes; —IVO, brighter than that glorious morn,Shall this fair morning be,When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,And we His face shall see.VThe King shall come when morning dawns,And earth’s dark night is past; —O, haste the rising of that morn,That day that aye shall last.VIAnd let the endless bliss begin,By weary saints foretold,When right shall triumph over wrong,And truth shall be extolled.VIIThe King shall come when morning dawns,And light and beauty brings; —Hail! Christ the Lord; Thy people prayCome quickly, King of kings.IThink on me, Lord, for Thou art kind,And I am needy, poor, and blind,And let the gifts Thou hast in store,Enrich me daily, more and more.III have no food my soul to feed,Be Thou my Bread of Life indeed;My parchèd spirit sighs, O giveThe stream of Life that I may live.IIIMy filthy raiment I disown,Clothe with Thy righteousness alone,And I shall walk approved by Thee,Clad in Thy robe of purity.IVI have no strength; in evil hourI fall beneath temptation’s power;Be Thou my strength, and I shall standUpheld by Thine outstretched hand.VI cannot see the path to tread,And blindly by my sins am led;Come to my blindness, give me sightThat I may shape my course aright.VII cannot live if Thou denyThe prayer uplifted with my cry;I cannot die, – in mercy giveThy grace, that I may die or live.VIIThink on me, Lord, for Thou art kind,And I am needy, poor, and blind;And let the gifts Thou hast in store,Enrich me daily, more and more.IBecause Thy mercy is so great,Lord, think upon my needy state,And deign to give the help I need, —The Bread of Life my soul to feed.IIThey cannot live whose souls are fedOn what this foolish world calls bread;For lack of food the spirit sighs,And, weak and weary, faints and dies.IIIO may the hidden manna giveThe strength I need that I may live;And may that life be spent for TheeWho came and lived on earth for me.IVO Jesus Christ, the living Bread,Now at the table Thou hast spread,Think of me in my utmost need,And let me on Thy bounties feed.II cannot lift mine eyes,For, O, my sin is great, —High as the hills that riseUp, up to heaven’s gate, —I cannot lift mine eyes,So great my sin, so great.IIBut I would smite my breast,And bow me at the Cross,And well He knows the rest,My pain, my grief, my loss; —Yea, I would smite my breast,And bow me at His Cross.IIIMayhap when I have toldThe burden of my sin,He’ll make my spirit bold,And speak, and soothe, and win; —All this when I have toldThe burden of my sin.IVThen shall I lift mine eyes,And see the sin removed,And in the radiant skiesBehold the Well Beloved; —Then shall I lift mine eyes,And see my sin removed.IWhen at Thy feet, oppressed,The burdened sinner falls,And, woeful and distressed,Upon Thy mercy calls, —O hear the penitential prayer,Forgive the burdened sinner there.IIDid’st Thou not send the Son,To shew the Father’s grace,To bid a world undoneArise and seek His face?And wilt Thou not in mercy say,“Thy many sins I take away”?IIIYea, Thou wilt not despiseThe soul’s uplifted prayer;Nor when our hopes arise,Plunge us in deep despair;But wilt forgive the evil done,Through Christ the Well Beloved Son.IVO Jesus Christ, by TheeThe Father’s grace is found,And pardon full, and weWith every good abound, —We see Thee nailed upon the tree,And know all blessing comes from Thee.IBecause I was brought low,And sin had triumphed quite,Thou God, all good, didst bow,And seek me in the night.IIAnd Thou didst lift me up,For Thou wert lifted high,When on the Cross Thou gav’stThyself for man to die.IIIThou Life, Immortal Life!O, full of sympathy!Clothed with my flesh Thou cam’stFrom Thy felicity.IVTo burst our mortal bands,And vanquish in the strife,And dead, from death arise,Crowned with immortal life.VTo Father and to Son,To Thee, blest Spirit, praise,Here on the earth, and thereWhere live the endless days.IO God of life, in whom we live,The bounties of Thy favour give,And teach our souls to soar;That, at the source of every good,Our life may find its needful food,And live for evermore.IIO Lord of mercy, by whose graceThe sinner seeks the Father’s face,And finds a welcome there;When fears the trembling soul distress,And sins the aching heart oppress,O Lord of mercy, spare.IIIAnd say to Him who loves Thee best,And sent Thee to a world distressed,His blessing to impart, —“Hear Thou the sinner’s mournful cries,Accept his preferred sacrifice,A broken, contrite heart.”IVBlest Spirit, who in holy flame,At Pentecost all powerful came, —Our sin-stained souls renew;And by Thine all-consuming fire,Consume our sin and vile desire,And make us pure and true.VTo God who dwells in highest heaven,Be endless praise and glory given, —And praise to Christ the Son.And to the Holy Spirit blest,For comfort and for gifts the best, —Immortal Three in One.IBy Thine own hand the gift was givenOf wealth, and hope of highest heaven;But, fool at heart, Thy grace was spurned,And from my Father’s house I turned.IIO, hear my plaint, I cry to Thee;Be pitiful, and pardon me,For I have sinned; O, give me graceTo seek in penitence Thy face.IIIYea, I repent in anguish low;Give me again Thy love to know;And if a servant’s place remain,Take me in mercy back again.ILord, Thou art good and kind,And full of tender grace;Now make Thy countenance to shine,And let me see Thy face.IIFor O, my heart is sad,Because my sin I know;And though I strive, I fail,And still ungodly grow.IIIAnd all my aims are lost,And all my striving vain, —Wilt Thou refresh my soul,And visit me again?IV’Tis morning when the sunUpon the mountain glows;’Tis evening when the shadeUpon the valleys grows;VAnd when Thy face I see,’Tis morning in my soul;But when Thou turn’st away,The evening shadows roll.VIAnd night comes on apace,And all forlorn I sigh; —O, bid the morning dawn,Look on me lest I die.VIIO, Thou art good and kind,And full of tender grace;Now make Thy countenance to shine,And let me see Thy face.IO Lord of Life, when mortals call,And freedom seek from earthly thrall,Hear Thou in heaven and save us all,In mercy, Lord.IIO Full of Mercy, when we groan,Because of sin our spirits own,Hear, who for sinners didst atone,In mercy, Lord.IIIO Full of Pity, when we bearTo Thy blest feet our cankering care,Take of our weary load a share,In mercy, Lord.IVO Full of Grace! when sufferers tellThe grief Thou knowest, Lord, so well,Come, with the broken-hearted dwell,In mercy, Lord.VWhen, lured by hope, our spirits riseTo where Thou beckonest from the skies;Then, be eternal life the prize,In mercy, Lord.II wandered sore distressed,All weary and forlorn;I had no place to rest,Of all my pleasures shorn, —My thirsting spirit sighed,And in the desert cried.IIThe Shepherd heard my cry,Who came His flock to find,And drew in mercy nigh,For He is wondrous kind;His winning voice awokeMy spirit as He spoke.IIIHe bade my wandering cease,And gave my heart a home,That, from the bliss of peace,I might no longer roam; —He gave me hope for fears,And lasting joy for tears.IGod sent me to the desert wild,Where all is parched with endless drought,For I had grown a wayward child,And now my sin had found me out; —He sent me to the desert drear,And, ah! my soul was charged with fear.III wandered where the brooks were dry,While memory wove a dismal song,And to my God I raised my cry,And sang my dirge the whole day long; —For I was in the desert drear,And, ah! my soul was charged with fear.IIIThe God of grace His comfort sent,And soon the desert blossomed fair,While round my path, where’er I went,Sweet flowers poured forth their odours rare; —He sent me to a desert drear,Now flowers and luscious fruits appear.IVO God, when by the path of sin,We reach the land where famine reigns;And dread possesses all within,And all around are woes and pains; —Then make the world a desert rare,Of joys upspringing everywhere.

1

This carol has been set to excellent and appropriate music by Mr. Arthur Henry Brown, Brentwood, Essex, and is published by Novello & Co., London. It is noteworthy that Mr. Brown is honourably associated with Eastern Hymnody by his tune, St. Anatolius, which was composed for Dr. Neale’s rendering of the Greek evening hymn, τὴν ἡμέραν διελθών, “The day is past and over”; and also by Orthodoxus and Apostolicus, which were composed for The Ektene and The Litany Of The Deacon respectively; and by St. Stythians, composed for βασιλεῦ οὐράνιε παράκλητε, “O King, enthroned on high” – renderings by the present author, all of which find a place in the new edition of Church Hymns.

2

Music by Mr. Arthur Henry Brown.

3

Woman.