3 His benefits, they be so great,
To us who are but sin;
That at our hands a recompense
He cannot hope to win.
4 O sinful man! that thou should'st have Such mercies of the Lord,
Who dost deserve most worthily
Of him to be abhorr'd!
5 Nought else, but sin and wretchedness, Doth rest within our hearts;
And stubbornly against the Lord,
We daily act our parts.
6 The Sun, that in the firmament
Is set for us a light,
Doth shew itself more clear and pure
Than we be in his sight.
7 The heaven above and all therein
More holy are than we;
They serve the Lord in their estate,
Each one in his degree.
8 They do not strive for mastership,
Nor light their office set,
But serve the Lord and do his will,
There's nothing can them let.
9 Also the earth, and all therein,
Of God doth stand in awe;
Observing the Creator's will,
By skilful nature's law.
10 The sea, and all that is therein,
Doth bend when God doth beck;
Spirits beneath do tremble all,
And fear his wrathful check.
11 But we, alas! for whom all these
Were made them for to rule;
Do not so know or love the Lord,
As doth the ox or mule !
12 A law he gave us, for to know
What was his holy will;
He would us good, but we would not
Avoid the thing that's ill.
13 Not one of us that seeketh out
The Lord of life to please;
Nor doth the thing that might us lead
To Christ and quiet ease.
14 Thus are we all his enemies,
We can it not deny;
And he again of his good-will
Would not that we should die.
15 Therefore when remedy was none,
To bring us unto life,
The Son of God our flesh did take,
To end our mortal strife.
16 And all the law of God the Lord
He fully did obey;
And for our sins, upon the cross
His blood our debts did pay.
17 And that we never should forget
What good for us he wrought;
A sign he left our eyes to tell
That he our bodies bought.
18 In bread and wine here visible
Unto thy eyes and taste,
His mercies great thou may'st record,
If that his grace thou hast.
19 As once the corn did live and grow,
And was cut down with seythe,
And threshed out with many stripes,
Out of his husk to drive;
20 And as the mill with violence
Did tear it out so small;
And make it like to earthly dust,
Not sparing it at all;
21 And as the oven with fire hot,
Did close it up with heat;
And all this done as I have said,
That it should be our meat:
22 So was the Lord in his ripe age,
Cut down by cruel death;
His soul he gave to torments great,
And yielded up his breath.
23 Because that he to us might be
An everlasting bread;
With much reproach, and troubles great,
On earth his life he led;
24 And as the grapes in pleasant time
Are pressed very sore,
And plucked down when they be ripe,
And let to grow no more;
25 Because the juice that in them is,
As comfortable drink
We might receive, and joyful be
When sorrows make us shrink :
26 So was the blood of Christ prest out,
With nails and iron spear;
The juice thereof doth save all those
Who rightly do him fear.
27 And as the corns by unity
Into one loaf are knit;
So is the Lord, and his whole Church,
Though he in heaven do sit.
28 As many grapes make but one wine,
So should we be but one
In faith, and love, in Christ above,
And into Christ alone-
29 Leading a life without all strife,
In quiet, rest, and peace;
From envy and from malice both
Our hearts and tongues shall cease.
30 Which if we do, then we shall know
That we his chosen be,
By faith in him to lead a life
As always willed he.
31 And that we may so do indeed,
God send us all his grace;
Then after death we shall be sure
With him to have a place.
366. Pope's Universal Prayer Christianized.
1 FATHER of all, and God of love,
By earth and heaven adored;
In worlds below, and worlds above,
The universal Lord.
2 Thou great first cause, least understood, Hast all our sense confined
To know but this, that thou art good,
And that ourselves are blind.
3 What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns us not to do;
This teach us more than death to shun,
That more than life pursue.
4 Where we are right thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay;
Where we are wrong, Lord teach our heart
To find the better way.
5 Save us alike from foolish pride,
And impious discontent,
At aught thy wisdom hath denied,
Or aught thy goodness lent.
6 This day be bread and peace our lot,
All else beneath the sun
Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not,
And let thy will be done.
7 To thee whose temple is all space,
Whose altar, -earth, sea, skies,
One chorus let all beings raise,
All nature's incense rise!
1 THE pure and peaceful mind,
The meek and lowly heart,
The patient will to thee resign'd,
God of all power impart!
Young though in years we be,
In health and spirits strong;
What is the life of man to thee?-
The longest is not long.
3 A thousand years, a day,
Are equal in thy sight;
Our generations pass away
Like watches in the night.
Lord! make us timely wise,
To know our call of grace;
And with the moment as it flies,
Run our appointed race.
5 Still keep the end in view, Tarry, nor turn aside;
Perils, allurements, bonds, break through,
Most faithful when most tried!
Thus, till we reach the goal,
All else we count but loss,
Nor till we gain the prize-our soul
Grow weary of the cross.
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