Can we, whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Can we to men benighted
The lamp of life deny ?
Salvation! oh, Salvation!
The joyful sound proclaim,
Till each remotest nation
Has learned Messiah's Name.
Waft, waft, ye winds, His story,
And you ye waters roll,
Till like a sea of glory,
It spreads from pole to pole:
Lord! o'er our ransom'd nature,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain,
Blest Spirit, Great Creator,
One God in triumph reign!
Oн send abroad God's Holy Word,
That preached may be the Christ, the Lord,
Unto the poor the heavenly Light
The deaf man's Ear, the blind man's Sight.
That thus each suffering child of woe,
May light receive, and comfort know;
Thus every hand the treasure hold,
And error's cloud away be rolled.
O Holy Ghost, Who gavest the word
With Thine own truth Thy light afford,
Give thou the quickening, saving power,
On all the earth Thy blessings shower.
Let grace thus turn each wanderer's eye,
To Him Who did for sinners die;
And Who His ministers hath taught
To seal the pardon He hath bought.
To God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
May every tongue and nation raise
An endless song of thankful praise.
The hymn, Christ before Thy door, used for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, will serve for the second hymn.
The hymn, City of Heaven, will serve for the first hymn, and Christ before Thy door, for the second hymn.
LORD of the sinless world above!
Saviour! bow down Thine ear, and hear;
While we, the Children of Thy love,
Within Thy holy Church appear;
Bearing upon our brow Thy sign
and love, the Cross divine!
We of Thy fulness have received,
And grace for grace, a plenteous shower,
And though Thy Spirit we have grieved
Too oft, since our baptismal hour;
To Thee we come, that here we may
Confess, and be absolved, and pray.
For though, O God, Thou art so high,
Yet for the lowliest Thou dost care;
And Children may Hosannah cry,
Rejoicing in Thy house of prayer.
Thus to Thy Church on earth is given,
To be the type and pledge of Heaven.
Therefore we bless Thee, mighty Lord!
For blessings here, for hopes above;
And in our choral hymn record
Our Church's care, our Saviour's love! With Angels and Archangels' host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
OH! who are they, so pure and bright,
Before the Throne, arrayed in white?
They stand, serene and calmly fair,
As conscious of high welcome there.
See, from afar, a length'ning band
Of lowly penitents, that stand
With angels gladd'ning their abode;
But who are these, so near to God?
That starry crown around their brow,
It tells their sacred glory now;
Blest Virgin-souls, who faultless come
From font of grace or martyrdom!
And in their mouth is found no guile,
Christ's holy innocents, whose smile
Shines purer from their knowing not
Upon their souls, sin's conscious blot.
These, these are they, the undefil'd,
The child-like Saint, the saint-like Child,
Marked with Christ's cross, or earth's dark frown,
But wearing there that starry crown.
O help us, Saviour, by Thy grace,
Near Thee to win that heavenly place,
Now following where Thy footsteps trod,
Blameless, and harmless, sons of God.
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below,
Praise Him above, heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The hymn, Christ before thy door, used for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, will serve for the second hymn.
The following hymn may be used as occasion requires, instead of the second hymn for the Epiphany.
QUE STELLA SOLE PULCHRIOR.
How lovely in the Eastern sky
Shines forth the herald from on high;
And oh! how glad the news from heaven,
The King is born, the Son is given!
Behold the long-predicted sign,
The Star of Jacob's ancient line;
The Eastern sages hail its rays,
And raptured stand in anxious gaze.
And soon within their hearts there shine,
Rays fairer still, and more divine,
Which gently summon them to rise,
And trust the guidance of the skies.
When God commands, the wise obey;
Love sees no danger in the way;
Home, neighbours, friends, their steps recall;
The voice of God outweighs them all.
Oh! while the Star of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek Thy face,
May we no more that grace repel,
Or quench that light, which shines so well.
To God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
May every tongue and nation raise
An endless song of thankful praise.
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