HYMNS FOR THE WEEK.

THE LORD'S DAY.

AT MIDNIGHT.

Mine eyes prevent the night-watches, that I might be occupied in thy words.-PSALM CXIX.

"Die dierum principe."

MORN of morn and day of days,
Silent as the morning's rays,
From the sepulchre's dark prison,
Christ the light of lights hath risen.
He commanded, and His word
Death and the dread chaos heard:
We, O shame, more deaf than they,
In the chains of darkness stay.
Nature 'neath the shadow lies;
Let the sons of light arise,

B

All throughout night's stillness deep
Holy symphonies to keep.

While the dead world sleeps around,
Let the sacred temples sound;
Law and prophet and blest psalm,
Lit with holy light so calm.
Thus to hearts in slumber weak
Let the heavenly trumpet speak;
And, like streaks of early morn,
New ways mark the newly born.
Grant us this, and with us be,
Sole fountain of all charity,
Thou who dost the Spirit give,
Bidding the dead letters live.
Equal praise to Father, Son,
And to Thee, the Holy One,
By whose quickening breath divine
Our dull spirits burn and shine.

AT THE MATTINS.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might: and these words shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.-DEUT. vi.

"Ad templa nos rursus vocat."

MORNING lifts her dewy veil,
With new-born blessings crown'd,
Let us haste her light to hail
In courts of holy ground.

Christ hath shed a fairer morn,
From darkness rising free,
In His glorious light new-born,
Let us lift the jubilee.

From the swaddling bands of night
When sprang the world so fair,
Putting on her robes of light,

O what a power was there!

When our God who gave His Son,
His guilty foes to spare,

Woke to life the guiltless One,

O what a love was there!

When from the Eternal's hand
The earth in beauty stood,
Deck'd in light at His command,
He saw and call'd it good.

Yet a goodlier world it stood
In the Creator's sight,

In the Lamb's all-cleansing blood
Wash'd to celestial white.

In the light of rising morn,
Which o'er creation flies,
We descry, by fancy borne,
Heav'n's courts beyond the skies.

In the image of the Eternal,
In Christ, of souls the sun,
Dimly, through the fleshly veil,
We see the Holy One.

In Thy law, bless'd Trinity,
A torch-light sure and true,
What Thou forbiddest may we flee,
What Thou dost bid, pursue.

THROUGH THE WEEK.

AT THE FIRST HOUR.

Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord : walk as children of light: for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth: proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.-EPHES. V.

"Jam lucis orto sidere."

Now morn's star hath woke from sleep,

Let us at His footstool pray,
That He would our path-way keep,

Light unborn, our better day:

That hand or tongue this day do nought of ill, Nor ought of vanity the bosom fill;

Truth calm and free

On our lips be,

And in our heart's throne sit meek Charity.

While this day shall onward roll,

From the cruel foe's dark hate

Keep the sentry of our soul,

Of our senses keep the gate.