The Versicle

Lo, we adore Thee,

Dread Lamb and fall

Thus low before Thee.

The Responsory

'Cause by the covenant of Thy cross,

Thou hast saved at once the whole World's

loss.

The Prayer

185

O Lord JESU CHRIST, Son of the living God! interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own precious death, Thy cross and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy judgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to grant unto me Thy 190 grace and mercy; unto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy Church, peace and concord; to us sinners, life and glory everlasting. Who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without 195 end. Amen.

EVEN-SONG

The Versicle

LORD, by Thy sweet and saving sign!

The Responsory

Defend us from our foes and Thine.

V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord!

R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. 200
V. O God, make speed to save me!

R. O Lord, make haste to help me!
V. Glory be to, etc.

R. As it was in the, etc.

THE HYMN

But there were rocks would not relent at this:
Lo, for their own hearts, they rend His;
Their deadly hate lives still, and hath

A wild reserve of wanton wrath;

205

Superfluous spear! But there's a heart stands by
Will look no wounds be lost, no death shall die. 2'10
Gather now thy Grief's ripe fruit, great mother-maid!
Then sit thee down, and sing thine even-song in the
sad tree's shade.

The Antiphon

O sad, sweet tree!

Woeful and joyful we

Both weep and sing in shade of thee.

When the dear nails did lock

And graft into thy gracious stock

The hope, the health

The worth, the wealth

215

Of all the ransomed World, thou hadst the power 220 (In that propitious hour)

To poise each precious limb,

And prove how light the World was, when it weighed with Him.

Wide mayest thou spread

Thine arms, and with Thy bright and blissful head 225 O'erlook all Libanus. Thy lofty crown

The King Himself is; thou His humble throne,
Where yielding and yet conquering He
Proved a new path of patient victory:

When Wondering Death by death was slain,
And our Captivity His captive ta'en.

230

The Versicle

Lo, we adore Thee,

Dread LAMB! and bow thus low before Thee.

The Responsory

'Cause by the covenant of Thy Cross,

Thou hast saved the World from certain loss.

The Prayer

O Lord JESU CHRIST, Son of the living, etc.

COMPLINE

The Versicle

LORD, by Thy sweet and saving sign!
The Responsory

Defend us from our foes and Thine.

V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord,

235

R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. 240
V. O God, make speed to save me!

R. O Lord, make haste to help me!
V. Glory be to, etc.

R. As it was in the, etc.

THE HYMN

The Compline hour comes last, to call

245

Us to our own lives' funeral.

Ah, heartless task! yet Hope takes head,

And lives in Him that here lies dead.

Run, Mary, run! bring hither all the Blest

Arabia, for thy royal phoenix' nest;

250

Pour on thy noblest sweets, which, when they touch

This sweeter body, shall indeed be such.

But must Thy bed, Lord, be a borrowed grave,

Who lend'st to all things all the life they have?

F

O rather use this heart, thus far a fitter stone,

255

'Cause though a hard and cold one, yet it is Thine

O save us then,

Merciful King of men!

Since Thou wouldst needs be thus

A Saviour, and at such a rate, for us;

Save us, O save us, Lord.

We now will own no shorter wish, nor name a narrower word;

260

These hours, and that which hovers o'er my end, 270
Into Thy hands and heart, Lord, I commend,

Take both to Thine account, that I and mine,
In that hour and in these, may be all Thine.
That as I dedicate my devoutest breath
To make a kind of life for my Lord's death,
So from His living, and life-giving death,
My dying life may draw a new and never fleeting

275

breath.

UPON THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

Here, where our Lord once laid His head,
Now the grave lies buried.

VEXILLA REGIS

THE HYMN OF THE HOLY CROSS

I

Look up, languishing soul! Lo, where the fair
Badge of thy faith calls back thy care,

And bids thee ne'er forget

Thy life is one long debt

Of love to Him, Who on this painful tree
Paid back the flesh He took for thee.

5

II

Lo, how the streams of life, from that full nest,
Of loves, Thy Lord's too liberal breast,

Flow in an amorous flood

Of water wedding blood.

ΙΟ

With these He wash'd thy stain, transferr'd thy smart, And took it home to His own heart.

III

But though great Love, greedy of such sad gain,
Usurp'd the portion of thy pain,

And from the nails and spear

Turn'd the steel point of fear:

Their use is changed, not lost; and now they move Not stings of wrath, but wounds of love.

15