LAZARUS, MARY, AND MARTHA
VISITED BY CHRIST.

AT THE FIRST VESPERS.

If a man love Me he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.-JOHN XIV.

As Jesus sought His wandering sheep,

With weary toil opprest,

He came to Martha's lowly roof,

A loved and honour'd Guest.

Blessed art thou, whose threshold poor
Those holy feet have trod,
To wait on so Divine a Guest,

And to receive thy God!

Y

While Martha serves with busy feet,

In reverential mood

Meek Mary sits beside the Judge,
And feeds on heavenly food.

Yea, Martha soon herself shall sit
The eternal word to hear,
And shall forget the festal board,
To feast on holier cheer.

Sole rest of all who come to Thee,
O'er all our works preside,

That we may have in Thee, at last,
The part that shall abide. Amen.

AT MIDNIGHT.

The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.DEUT. Xiii.

"Redditum luci, Domino vocante."

SING the Redeemer's saving might!
The crowd aghast at the dread sight,
A buried man burst forth to light,
Again to run

Our weary round of day and night,
And see the sun!

He whose blest roof to Christ supplies
Shelter and kindly ministries,

Deep in the rock he buried lies

Buried and gone!

Corruption's prey, hid from our eyes
In the cold stone.

Worship, and love, and faltering fear,
And hope awake-Hadst Thou been here,
We had not mourned a brother's bier;
And well we know

Whate'er Thou askest God will hear-
Yea, even now.

Lord, art Thou weeping for Thy friend,
Whom death again to life shall lend?
Or doth it not in pity rend

Thy heart in twain

To think so many have an end,
Nor rise again?

Triune Jehovah, Thee we crave,
When we shall lay us in the grave,
From second death Thy people save;
Our spirits still

With Thy Baptismal virtue lave,

And keep from ill.

AT THE MATTINS.

Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves. And ye shall know that I am the Lord.-EZEKIEL XXXVii.

"Panditur saxo tumulus remoto."

OPEN is the rocky tomb

And a voice is in the gloom;

And a sound is on the ear;

And the dead that sound doth hear!

For God Himself is near.

Amazing sight! the spirit now
Hath his former seat I trow;

For the dead doth stretch his hands
Through his swaddling bands,

Darkly groping for his way,
In the light of living day.
Now forth he stands

With a stare,

Survivor of himself and heir.
His bands about him broken lie,
And away old Death doth fly,
Glad to resign his victory.

O Lord, this earnest of thy sway
Gives prelude of the judgment day.
Thee we pray,

When we shall resign our breath,
Save us from the second death;

From the second death us save!

So may we, rising from the wintry grave, Through everlasting spring,

The Father, Son, and Spirit sing.

Amen.