Thou, JESUS CHRIST, wast consubstantial Thou, That wast as mortal born, Being GOD ador'd, Thou That liftest up our horn, Holy art Thou, LORD! Rejoice, O Bethlehem, the city Whence Judah's monarchs had their birth; Where He that sitteth on the Cherubs, The King of Israel, came on earth : As of old time never, He shall reign for ever! ODE IV. Ράβδος ἐκ τῆς ρίζης. Rod of the Root of Jesse, Thou, Flower of Mary born, Incarnate wast Thou made, The immaterial Essence, The GOD by all obeyed! Glory, LORD, Thy servants pay The Gentiles' expectation, Thou from the Root of Judah Like some fair plant dost spring, Glory, LORD, Thy servants pay In Balaam's ancient vision The Eastern seers were skilled; Didst call these Gentile first-fruits To worship in Thy light. They, in holy reverence bent, As on a fleece descending As drops the earth that water, The Isles and Araby, And Media, leagued with Sheba, Glory, LORD, Thy servants pay To Thy wondrous might to-day! (1.) The reference is to the Song of Habakkuk : (ili. 1), where the lxx. give-" GOD shall come from Teman, and The Holy from the thick and shady mountain of Paran." ODE V. Θεὸς ὢν εἰρήνης. Father of Peace, and GOD of Consolation! The Angel of the Counsel dost Thou send To herald peace, to manifest Salvation, Thy Light to pour, Thy knowledge to extend ; Whence, with the morning's earliest rays, Lover of men! Thy Name we praise. Midst Cæsar's subjects Thou, at his decreeing, Obey'd'st and wast enroll'd: our mortal race, To sin and Satan slave, from bondage freeing, Behold! The Virgin, prophecy sustaining, And man to GOD is reconciled once more: Wherefore in faith her name we bless, ODE VI. σπλάγχνων Ἰωνᾶν. As Jonah, issuing from his three days' tomb, For He, Who knew no taint of mortal stain, Willed that His Mother spotless should remain. CHRIST Comes, Incarnate GOD, amongst us now, Begotten of the FATHER ere the day: And He, to Whom the sinless legions bow, Lies cradled, midst unconscious beasts, on hay: And, by His homely swaddling-bands girt in, Looses the many fetters of our sin, |