Note, that the hymns for every Sunday, or for any Holy day that hath a Vigil or Eve, will serve for the Erening Service next before, if no special hymns for the Vigil or Eve be already provided.
The First Sunday in Advent.
HOSANNA to the Living Lord!
Hosanna to th' Incarnate Word!
To Christ, Creator, Saviour, King,
Let earth, let heaven, hosanna sing!
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna, Lord! Thine angels cry;
Hosanna, Lord! Thy saints reply;
Above, beneath us, and around,
The dead and living swell the sound;
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
O Saviour! with protecting care,
Be with us in Thy house of prayer,
Assembled in Thy sacred Name,
Where we Thy parting promise claim;
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
But, chiefest, in our cleansed breast,
Eternal! bid Thy Spirit rest,
And make our secret soul to be
A temple pure, and worthy Thee;
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
So, in the last and dreadful day,
When earth and heaven shall melt away,
Thy flock, redeem'd from sinful stain,
Shall swell the sound of praise again;
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Be honour, praise, and glory given
By all on earth and all in heaven;
Hosanna, Lord! hosanna in the highest!
CREATOR ALME SIDERUM.
CREATOR of the starry height,
Of hearts believing endless Light,
Jesu, Redeemer, bow Thine ear,
Thy suppliants' vows in pity hear;
Who, lest the earth through evil eye
Of treacherous fiend should waste and die,
With mighty love instinct, wert made
Th' expiring world's all-healing Aid :
Who to the cross, that world to win
From common stain of common sin,
From Virgin shrine, a Virgin Birth,
A Spotless Victim issuest forth;
At vision of Whose glory bright,
At mention of Whose Name of might,
Angels on high and fiends below
In reverence or in trembling bow :
Almighty Judge, to Thee we pray,
Great Umpire of the last dread day,
Protect us through th' unearthly fight
With armour of celestial light.
To God the Father, and the Son,
And Holy Ghost all praise be done :
All honour, might, and glory be
Through all the long eternity.
DAY of wrath! O DAY of mourning! See once more the Cross returning, Heaven and earth in ashes burning! O what fear man's bosom rendeth, When from heaven the Judge DESCENDETH, On Whose sentence all dependeth! Wondrous sound the TRUMPET flingeth; Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth; All before the throne it bringeth. Death is struck and nature quaking, All creation is AWAKING, To its Judge an answer making. Lo, the BOOK exactly worded! Wherein all hath been recorded; Thence shall judgment be awarded. When the JUDGE His seat attaineth, And each hidden deed arraigneth, Nothing unavenged remaineth.
What shall I, FRAIL MAN, be pleading? Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing?
King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost FREE SALVATION send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!
Think, kind Jesu, my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous INCARNATION;
Leave me not to reprobation!
Faint and weary, Thou hast sought me,
On the CROSS of suffering bought me;
Shall such grace be vainly brought me!
Righteous Judge of retribution,
Grant Thy gift of ABSOLUTION
Ere that reckoning day's conclusion!
Guilty, now I pour my MOANING,
All my shame with anguish owning;
Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning!
Thou the SINFUL WOMAN savest,
Thou the DYING THIEF forgavest;
And to ME a hope vouchsafest!
Worthless are my PRAYERS and sighing,
Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from fires undying!
With Thy favoured sheep, O place me!
Nor among the goats abase me;
But to Thy RIGHT HAND upraise me.
While THE WICKED are confounded,
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,
Call me, with Thy saints surrounded.
Low I KNEEL with heart submission ;
See, like ashes, my contrition ;
Help me in my last condition.
Ah! that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning,
Man for judgment must prepare him;
Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!
Lord, Who didst our souls redeem,
Grant a blessed REQUIEM! Amen.
Either of the two hymns next preceding will serve for the second hymn until Christmas Eve.
The Second Sunday in Advent.
THE Lord shall come! the earth shall quake,
The hills their fixed seat forsake,
And, withering, from the vault of night,
The stars withdraw their feeble light.
The Lord will come! but not the same
As once in lowly form He came,
A silent Lamb to slaughter led,
The bruised, the suffering, and the dead.
The Lord will come! a dreadful form,
With wreath of flame, and robe of storm,
On cherub wings and wings of wind,
Anointed Judge of human-kind.
Can this be He Who wont to stray
A pilgrim on the world's highway,
By power oppress'd, and mock'd by pride?
O God! is this the Crucified?
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