The pleasures of the world he spurn'd,
From sin's pernicious lures he turn'd,
But sweet to him was Thy blest Name,
And thus to heavenly joys he came.
He bravely ran a painful race,
Enduring with a hero's grace,

Thee with his blood on earth confess'd,
With Thee in Heaven for aye is bless'd.

O, as with suppliant voice this day
To Thee, all-pitying LORD, we pray,
On this Thy martyr's triumph high,
Thy servants' chain of guilt untie.

TO GOD the FATHER, and the SON,
And HOLY SPIRIT, Three in One,
Unceasing praise and glory be,
Now and through all eternity.

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

25. RIGHTFUL prince of martyrs thou,
Bind thy crown about thy brow!
Fairer far than fading wreath,
Weave we this thy crown of death.

Like a gem each rugged stone,
Sparkling with thy life-blood shone;
Nor could stars more brightly shine,
Studded round thy head divine.

From thy forehead's gushing streams
Dart a thousand blending beams,
Till thy glowing countenance
Lightens to an angel's glance.

Thou the first slain victim free
To Him the Victim slain for thee;
Thou the first thy LORD to own,
Sharer of His thorny crown.

First to tread the pointed road
Through the deep Red sea of blood :-
Prince of martyrs, thee behind
What a countless army wind!

Thou of virgin-mother born,
In this wintry world forlorn,
JESU, LORD, all praise to Thee :
All glory be to FATHER, SON,
And HOLY SPIRIT, Three in One,
Unto all eternity.

"I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your FATHER which is in Heaven."

26. HOLY love towards her foes
In mysterious channels flows;
Bow'd to soothe, or steel'd to blame,
Holy love is still the same.

Pleader for himself he stood :-
Now he falls, his eloquent blood
From the ground for mercy cries,
Pleading for his enemies.

GOD from Heav'n His martyr heard,—
Heard, and bless'd his dying word;
Saul, the murderer, standing by,
Saul was granted to that cry.

Thus he bowed his drooping head,
Thus his joyous spirit fled :
"JESU, LORD," his offering free,-
"Take the life I owe to Thee."

Death, kind angel, watching nigh,
Sweetly clos'd his tranquil eye;

Whilst the freed spirit wing'd her flight
From beam to beam, to endless light.

Thou of virgin-mother born,
In this wintry world forlorn,
JESU, LORD, all praise to Thee.
All glory be to FATHER, SON,
And HOLY SPIRIT, Three in One,
Unto all eternity.

S. John the Evangelist's Day.

"The disciple whom JESUS loved."

27. THOU, whom before the rest
The love of JESUS bless'd;

Thou darling of the Incarnate Deity,
Sharer of all His woes,

Friend of His dying throes,
Eye-witness of His awful sovereignty;

Too favour'd thou of Heav'n,

O thou to whom 'twas given

To touch with mortal hand th' immortal
LORD;

With mortal ear and eye

To hear and see Him nigh,

And hold high converse with th' eternal

Word;

How mighty was the boon,
When oft to thee alone

Thy LORD in love His secret soul display'd,
When on His mountain-throne

To thee reveal'd He shone,
Full GOD, full man in Deity array'd.

Thou, as on JESUS' breast

All peaceful thou dost rest,

Drink'st of the living streams of Deity,
Whilst on thy cleansed sense

With silent influence

More closely steals His dread Divinity.

O access dread, O bliss
Of mutual love, ere this

To every soul in every age
When such the altar firè,

unknown!

That lights thy pure desire,

What countless rays it scatters from its throne!

Hence art thou ever prov'd

Loving, and ever lov'd;

Hence thy bright brow, and virgin modesty;
Hence all that heavenly beam,

That Angels might beseem,

Pour'd round thy head, a circling galaxy

"He signified it by His Angel unto His servant John, who bare record of all things which he saw."

28.

AN exile from the Faith

Of thy Incarnate LORD,

Beyond the stars,-beyond all space,

Thy soul unprison'd soar'd:

There saw in glory Him

Who liveth, and was dead;
There Juda's Lion, and the Lamb,

That for our ransom bled:

There of the Kingdom learnt

The mysteries sublime,

How, sown in martyr's blood, the Faith
Should spread from clime to clime.

There the new City, bath'd
In her dear Spouse's light,
Pure seat of bliss, thy spirit saw,
And gloried in the sight.

Now to the Lamb's clear fount,
To drink of life their fill,

Thou callest all;-O LORD, in me,
This blessed thirst instil.

TO JESUS, Virgin-born,
Praise with the FATHER be;
Praise to the SPIRIT Paraclete,

Through all eternity.

"The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness."

29. THE life which GOD's Incarnate Word
Liv'd here below with men,
Three blest Evangelists record,
With Heav'n-inspired pen:

John penetrates on eagle wing
The FATHER's dread abode;
And shows the mystery wherein

The Word subsists with GOD.

Pure Saint! upon his SAVIOUR's breast
Invited to recline,

'Twas thence he drew, in moments blest,
His knowledge all divine:

There too, with that angelic love
Did he his bosom fill,

Which, once enkindled from above,
Breathes in his pages still.

O, dear to CHRIST! to thee upon
His cross, of all bereft,
Thou virgin soul, the Virgin Son
His Virgin Mother left.

TO JESUS, born of Virgin bright,
Praise with the FATHER be;
Praise to the SPIRIT Paraclete,
Through all eternity.

The Holy Innocents' Day.

"The LORD bringeth the counsels of princes to none effect."

30. WHEN it reach'd the tyrant's ear, Brooding anxious all alone,