HYMNS FOR THE CHURCH'S SEASONS.

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[Advent. Morning.

To earth descending, WORD Sublime!
Begotten ere the days of Time,

And born a Child the world to aid,

As years their downward course displayed!

Each breast be lightened from Above,
Each heart be kindled with Thy Love,

That we, who hear Thy call to-day,
May cast all earthly joys away!

That so, when Thou, our Judge, art nigh,
All good and evil deeds to try,

To give to hidden things their due

The Kingdom to the righteous "few ".

We may not, in the Pit shut in,

Be chained to unrepented sin,
But with the Blessed evermore

May praise and love Thee and adore!

To Him Who comes the world to free,

To GOD the SON all glory be !
To GOD the FATHER, as is meet,
To GOD the Blessed PARACLETE !

Amen.

33

[Advent. Morning.

THE world is very evil,

The times are waxing late :
Be sober and keep vigil—

The Judge is at the gate:

The Judge that comes in mercy,
The Judge that comes with might,

To stop the course of evil,

To recompense the right.

The perfect from the shattered,
The fallen from them that stand,
The sheep-flock from the goat-herd
Shall part on either hand.
Oh, when the gentle Monarch
Shall call us from the tomb,

Let man, the guilty, tremble,

For GOD the MAN shall doom.

Arise, arise, ye Christians!

Let right to wrong succeed;

Let penitential sorrow

To Heavenly gladness lead

To the light that hath no evening,

That knows no moon nor sun

The light so new and golden,
The light that is but one.

And when the Sole Begotten
Shall render up once more
The Kingdom to the FATHER
Whose own it was before,

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Then glory yet unheard of
Shall shed abroad its ray,
And usher in with gladness
That endless Sabbath Day.

The peace of all the Faithful,
The peace of all the Blest,
Inviolate, unwearied,

Divinest, sweetest, best!
JESU! in mercy bring us

To Thy dear Land of Rest,
Who art with GOD the FATHER
And SPIRIT ever blest! Amen.

[Advent. Morning.

Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
Once on earth for sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train :
Alleluia!

CHRIST appears on earth again.

Every eye must now behold Him,

Robed in dreadful majesty ;

Those who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,

Shall the true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of His Passion
Still His dazzling Body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers!
With what rapture

Gaze we on those glorious Scars!

See Redemption, long expected,
Now in solemn pomp appear!
All His Saints by men rejected
Rise to meet Him in the air.
Alleluia!

See the Son of GOD appear!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thy eternal throne ;

SAVIOUR, take Thy power and glory,
Claim the kingdoms for Thine own.
O, come quickly!

Alleluia! Amen.

35

[Advent. Morning.

GREAT GOD! what do we see and hear

The end of things created!

The Judge of mankind doth appear,

On clouds of glory seated!

The trumpet sounds! the graves restore
The dead that they contained before!

Prepare us, LORD, to meet Thee.

The dead in CHRIST shall first arise,
The Saints alive attending,
Caught up together in the skies
To meet their LORD descending.
The trumpet sounds! the graves restore
The dead that they contained before!
Prepare us, LORD, to meet Thee.

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His Cross, dread sign, in Heaven appears,
While stoutest hearts are quailing ;
The ungodly rise; but all their tears
And sighs are unavailing.

The trumpet sounds! the graves restore
The dead that they contained before!
Prepare us, LORD, to meet Thee.

Great GOD! to Thee all praise and power,
And glory never ending!

Keep Thou us safe in that dread hour,
Thy mercy still extending.

Grant us that now, in this our day,
Watching, we may Thy Word obey,

And so prepare to meet Thee. Amen.

[Advent. Evening.

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.

D