The temple's veil is rent in twain;
For Christ our Sacrifice is slain,
And bears of sin and death the pain.
Lo, Nature's face of beaming light
She veils in darkness at the sight
Of Him, her God, the Crucified!
'Tis man alone that dares deride
The Saviour Who for him hath died.
Despised is the Man of grief,
Rejected, and denied belief
By them whose sorrows He hath borne,
For whose transgression He is torn,
Whose mortal weakness He hath worn.
The Mighty One, the Son of God,
Hath humbly kiss'd affliction's rod,
That by His stripes we might be healed,
Our pardon by His blood be sealed,
And boundless mercy stand revealed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
And turned aside from wisdom's way;
But He hath saved us from our sin;
Our God the Ransom-Lamb hath been,
Our God hath saved us from our sin !
Oh, let us cast each vice away,
Which thus the Son of God could slay!
With contrite heart and weeping eye
Behold the Saviour's cross on high,
And every sin and folly fly!
So may we join the song of love
Which saints and angels sing above;
All honour, glory, praise to Thee,
The Trinity in Unity,
Now and through all eternity!
SEE the destined day arise,
See, a willing Sacrifice,
To redeem our fatal loss
Jesus hangs upon the cross.
From a tree our loss began,
Fatal to primæval man;
Health attends us from the Tree,
God and Man, vouchsafed by Thee.
Jesus, who but Thou had borne,
Lifted on that Tree of scorn,
Every pang and bitter throe,
Finishing Thy life of woe?
Who but Thou had dared to drain,
Steeped in gall, the cup of pain;
And with tender body bear
Thorns and nails and piercing spear?
Thence poured forth the water flowed,
Mingled from Thy side with blood,
Sign to all attesting eyes
Of the finished sacrifice.
Holy Jesus! grant us grace
In that sacrifice to place
All our trust for life renewed,
Pardoned sin and promised good.
Grant us grace to sing to Thee
In the Trinal Unity,
Ever with the sons of light,
Blessing, honour, glory, might.
The hymn, Cleft are the rocks, will serve for the first hymn, and Forth goes the standard, will serve for the second hymn for Evensong.
PLUNGED in a gulf of dark despair,
We wretched sinners lay,
Without one cheerful beam of hope
Or spark of glimmering day.
With pitying eyes the Prince of grace
Beheld our helpless grief;
He saw, and O amazing love!
He came to our relief.
Down from the shining seats above
With joyful haste He sped,
Entered the grave in mortal flesh,
And dwelt among the dead.
Oh! for this love let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak.
Angels, assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold:
But when we raise our highest notes
His love can ne'er be told.
To Him, Who left His Throne on high
Mankind from death to raise,
The Father and the Holy Ghost,
Be everlasting praise.
WHERE is thy victory, O Grave?
Vanquished and spent art thou ;
Since thou hast held the Lord of Life,
No Christian fears thee now.
Where is thy victory, O Grave?
With Him we enter thee;
But not the dark and yawning cave
By mournful Calvary.
The pure and bright baptismal flood
Entombs our nature's stain;
And, from the healing waters born,
With Him we rise again.
Happy, if through the world of sin
And lust and selfish care,
Our resurrection-mantle, white
And undefiled, we wear.
Thus through the grave and gate of death,
Glorious at last and free,
With all Thy holy Church, O Lord,
May we accepted be.
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God Whom we adore,
In Whose dread Name we are baptized,
JESUS CHRIST is risen to-day,
Our triumphant holyday;
Who did once upon the Cross
Suffer to redeem our loss.
Hymns of praise then let us sing
Unto Christ our Heavenly King;
Who endured the Cross and grave,
Sinners to redeem and save.
But the pain which He endured
Our salvation hath procured;
Now above the sky He's King,
Where the Angels ever sing.
Hallelujah! praise the Lord!
Victor over hell, our God,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Sing the Church and heavenly host.
AURORA CELUM PURPURAT.
MORNING spreads her crimson rays,
Heaven resounds with hymns of praise,
Through the earth loud anthems swell,
Heard with rage in vanquished hell.
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