Unto us, who pine and die,

Stretch forth Thy hand;

Earth shall break her wintry trance

At Thy blissful countenance.

Praise to Him who comes from high,

Our Deliverer;

Praise to Father, Spirit, Son,

Never ending, ne'er begun.

AT THE VESPERS.

At the end it shall speak, and not lie; though ít tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come; it will not tarry.-HAB. ii.

"Statuta decreto Dei."

DEEP hidden, by divine decree,

In the dark womb of destiny,

The long delaying day appears,

And shines through clouds of rolling years

From the descending sky.

By crimes parental helpless made,

Were Adam's offspring wounded laid,

And far within yon gloomy vale
Sat lost, in sorrow's twilight pale,
And death's o'erhanging shade;

That second death of deathless shame ;
The death of everlasting flame;
While on the brow, by Terror writ,
Did dismal Expectation sit

At Judgment's awful name.

Alas! for downfall so profound

Who shall bring help? whence shall abound

Succour and hope? what hand shall be
Meet for the mighty remedy

Of that o'erwhelming wound?

O Christ, 'tis Thou, 'tis Thou alone,
Descending from Thy Godhead's throne,
The tarnish'd lineaments once more
To Thy lost image canst restore,
Thy children to Thy bosom own.

Rain down, ye overhanging skies!
Lost earth looks up with yearning eyes,
And when the Just One shall have come
Into her long-expectant womb,

From her Salvation shall arise.

To Thee, to clothe Thee with our shame,
Who from Thy Father's bosom came,
The Word incarnate; and to Thee,
Father, and Spirit, One and Three,
Praise everlasting to Thy name.

AT THE COMPLINE.

Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh.ISAIAH lxii.

"In noctis umbra desides."

AND now, with shades of night opprest,

Our weary limbs are laid at rest,

The faithful soul shall wake and weep,

And unto Thee her vigils keep.

Health of the world, the Father's Word,
By whom our untold prayers are heard,
Desire of nations, hear our sighs,
And raise us from our miseries.

Why do Thy wheels so long delay ?
Come Thou, and cast our chains away,

And ope the heavenly doors again,

Which Adam's crime hath closed amain.

Praise to the Son, who cometh down
To make lost man again His own;
Praise be throughout the days of Heaven
To Father and to Spirit given !

F

ON THE VIGIL OF THE NATIVITY.

AT THE COMPLINE.

God hath said, 1 will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.-2 COR. vi.

"Mundi salus qui nasceris."

INFANT, born the world to free,

Look on us,

That in child-like wisdom we

Put on Thy humility.

Thou that midst the beasts did sleep,

Helpless babe,

From dark foes that seek Thy sheep,

Sacred Shepherd, save and keep.

Thou who hast Thy Godhead laid

All aside,

On the breast of mother maid,

To our weakness lend Thine aid.

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