Part 2

Lord, is it nothing now, to Thee?-- Yea, it is much, that well I know, For Thou hast memory of the woe That filled Thy soul at Calvary.

V

And Thou wilt come with gracious aid, When, burdened on the awful road, I fall beneath the grievous load Upon my fainting spirit laid.

VI

Nor let me feel Thou hast no care, Though arrows fly, and darkness fall; Sin must be slain, but when I call Thou art attentive to my prayer.

VII

O God of love, Thy power disclose,-- 'Tis not enough that Christ should rise, I, too, must seek the brightening skies, And rise from death, as Christ arose.

VIII

And from the cross, and to the grave Descend; and when the morning breaks, To life anew the soul awakes That sin nor death shall e'er enslave.

IX

The cross is love: the Christ's, and mine;-- 'Tis life to die, and death to live, And not enough that God forgive, If I would live the life divine.

CHRISTMAS

{Doxa en hypsistois Theô.}

I

Hark! upon the morning breezes, In the darkness, ere the waking, Music sweet the senses pleases, Soft upon the stillness breaking;-- "Glory, Glory!" this the singing, Welcome to Immanuel bringing.

II

Shepherds at their watch beholding Angels clad in glistening whiteness, Heard the wondrous news unfolding 'Mid that dazzling scene of brightness;-- "Glory, Glory!" peace, and kindness, Light is breaking on our blindness.

III

Glorious morn! The sun uprising, Shone upon a world rejoicing; God is with us, truth surprising; List to song the message voicing,-- "Glory, Glory!" ages told it, Heavenly voices now unfold it.

IV

God adored, our nature wearing! Ah, such condescending meekness! Stooping to a world despairing, Full of pity for our weakness;-- "Glory, Glory!" praises swelling, God hath made with man His dwelling.

{techthentos tou Christou.}

I

Hail to the morn that dawns on eastern hills, More radiant far than any earthly morn; 'Tis heavenly light that all creation fills;-- The Christ is born.

II

Mystery profound, through all the ages sealed, Now, to a world all hopeless, and forlorn, In Bethlehem's manger is at length revealed;-- The Christ is born.

III

Lo, from their watch, the herdsmen raise their eyes, For, dazzling light the robe of night had torn, And angels poured their raptures from the skies,-- The Christ is born.

IV

Bring ye your gifts of gold and incense rare Wise men who come, all travel-stained and worn, Find ye the Child, and pay your homage there;-- The Christ is born.

V

Hail to the morn, the world exulting sings; Only to Him, in fealty we are sworn, Lord of our lives, Immortal King of kings!-- The Christ is born.

{hoi magoi ta dôra prospherousin;}

{hoi poimenes to thauma kêryttousin.}

I

Hail to the King, Who comes in weakness now, No wreath of gold encircleth His brow, Lowly His state,--in lowly worship bow; Hail to the King!

II

Born of His Maiden Mother, pure as snow, Son of our God, begotten long ago, Ere yet the stream of time began to flow; Hail to the King!

III

Nowhere was found a shelter for His head, Humble He lay, e'en where the oxen fed, No couch nor crib, a manger was His bed; Hail to the King!

IV

Herdsmen were there who heard the angels sing; Wise men from far who myrrh and incense bring, No other hand bestowed an offering; Hail to the King!

V

Hail to the King! O Christ upon Thy throne, Look on the souls which Thou didst make Thine own, When by Thy Birth and Death Thou did'st atone; Hail to the King!

{Euphrainesthe Dikaioi; ouranoi agalliasthe;}

{skirtêsate ta orê, Christou gennêthentos.}

Christmas.

I

Ye saints exult with cheerful song, Ye heavens be glad this morn, And let the mountains leap for joy, For Christ on earth is born.

II

Behold the Virgin Mother holds The Child in warm embrace,-- The One-begotten Son of God, Incarnate Word of grace.

III

And shepherds from their lonely watch, By angel guidance given, At Bethlehem found the Promised Child, And praised the God of heaven.

IV

And heavenly choirs their music poured, Upon the stillness, then, Ascribing glory unto God, And peace on earth to men.

V

Lo, wise men from the Morningland, Their costly treasures bear, And at the manger worshipped low, And laid their offerings there.

VI

Now, with the angel host who sang, We join our thankful praise, To God the Father, God the Son, And Holy Ghost, always.

{Ho Patêr eudokêsen,}

Stichera Idiomela. Christmas.

I

He came because the Father willed, And from the midst of heaven's renown, The promise to our world fulfilled, And won a kingdom for His crown.

II

He came because He willed to bear The burden that His love imposed; And all our lot of sorrow share, Until the day in darkness closed.

III

Ah! angels hailed that morning bright, And in the heavens their carols sung; But God Himself was hid in night, When sin and death their arrows flung.

IV

But not to sink beneath their power, The God-man girt Him for the fray; And from the darkness of that hour, There sprang the light of endless day.

V

And wounded souls the triumph knew; Fresh courage to the faint was given; And e'en the dead to life anew, Rose in the glorious might of heaven.

VI

For sin was crushed, and death was slain;-- All hail, the great victorious Son, Who mounts the throne of heaven again, To rule the kingdom He has won.

{Christos ho Basileus.}

I

Now the King Immortal Comes to claim His own,-- Shepherds at their watch by night, Hail the glory of the light-- They, and they alone.

II

Heralds from the heaven-land, Tell His Advent clear;-- Where the sound of hurrying feet? Where the crowds come forth to greet? Where the loyal cheer?

III

Angels, on the night winds Have their carols thrown,-- Theirs, the music rapturous, sweet, Theirs, the songs the Monarch greet, Theirs, and theirs, alone.

IV

Ah, the silent night hours, Ah, the slumberers, prone,-- Mortals wake, arise, adore, Angels, shepherds, honours pour, They, and they, alone.

V

Jesu, King Immortal, Mount thy rightful throne; Loyal hearts their plaudits pour, Heavenly choirs in songs adore, They, not they alone.

{Augoustou monarchêsantos epi tês gês,}

{hê polyarchia tôn anthrôpôn epausato.}

_By Cassia the Recluse._

Menaeon Dec. 25.

I

When o'er the world Augustus reigned, The rule of kingships felt decay; And when our Lord appeared as Man, The idol shrines were swept away.

II

One earthly power the people knew, One world-embracing rule obeyed; Then Gentiles to the Godhead knelt, And undivided homage paid.

III

And when the monarch's will was known, A census of the tribes was told; Then, in the name of Christ their God, His faithful subjects were enrolled.

IV

For great Thy mercy is to us, O God, our King, Whose rule we own, And we will render while we live, One glory to Thy name alone.

{nyn panta peplêrôtai phôtos.}

I

O Light, resplendent of the morn On golden pinions upwards borne, That usherest in the day; We rise responsive to the call, As night removes her dusky pall, And speeds her flight away.

II

O Light, that, from the Father's face, Shone on our world with winning grace, When darker night prevailed; We rise to greet Thine Advent bright, All hail! majestic in Thy might, When darkness is assailed.

III

O let my soul Thy rising see; From every cloud my vision free, And on my pathway shine; Then shall my course, in safety trod, Lead ever nearer to my God, The source of light divine.

IV

O Jesus, Morn of better day, Thou Light of lights, Whose gladsome ray Gives light, and life, and cheer; Light to my soul, and life impart, And fill with joy my inmost heart, And scatter night and fear.

PASSIONTIDE

I

O wounded hands and feet! O heart, with spear thrust torn! O brow, with blood drops falling down, Beneath the stinging thorn! O Jesus, Lord divine, Why was such anguish Thine?

II

The angels were amazed, The sun refused his light, And they who knew that Christ was God, Turned from the woeful sight;-- O Jesus, Lord divine, Why was such anguish Thine?

III

My soul, can'st thou not tell? Why such a sacrifice? Hast thou no needs, for which alone The cross can find supplies? O Jesus, Lord divine, Why was such anguish Thine?

IV

For thee the cross was reared; For thee the Christ was slain; For thee He sojourned with the dead, And rose to life again;-- O Jesus, Lord divine, Thus was the anguish Thine.

I

When Jesus to the judgment hall By cruel men was led, He wore a purple robe of scorn, And thorns upon His head;-- They called Him King, and bowed the knee, And paid Him homage, mockingly.

II

"Away! let Him be crucified!" The impious shouts proclaim; And forth they led the Son of God To die a death of shame; And passing thence amid' the crowd, Beneath a ponderous cross He bowed.

III

Behold Him nailed upon the cross And left alone to die, While from the awful scene of death His timid followers fly;-- In agony He groaned and sighed, And faint, He bowed the head, and died.

IV

Ah, cruel death for Him to die, Ah, vilest death of shame,-- Who, to redeem our guilty souls, From God, in pity came;-- The glory of the Father's throne He left, to make our souls His own.

V

O Jesus, to Thy cross I cling, For Thou, my Lord, art there, Who, in Thy love, True Man became, My load of sin to bear; And lo, I lift my eyes to heaven, For God in mercy hath forgiven.

I

They brought Him to the hill of death Where ruthless felons died, And there, upon a cross of shame, The Christ was crucified; By wicked men the nails were driven, And God, in silence, looked from heaven.

II

They bade Him find His help in God, If He were Christ indeed, And save Himself, as He had saved So many in their need; Such taunting words like venom stung, And God beheld the arrows flung.

III

They wagged their heads in mocking scorn, And bade the Christ come down,-- While from His wounds the blood-drops fell, And from the thorny crown; The spear uplifted pierced His side, And God beheld the crimson tide.

IV

All dark at noon, the sun refused His wonted light to shed, For sin and death had God defied, And Christ His Son was dead; And God had turned His face away, Nor heard the Christ in anguish pray.

V

All hail the Resurrection morn! The light returns again, And Christ is throned at God's right hand Who once for man was slain; And God extends His pardoning grace, Nor hides the brightness of His face.

I

"Watch with Me," The Master said, And the night around Him fell, While the snares of sin and hell, On His awful path were spread.

II

But they slumbered while He prayed;-- They who were His constant care, Heard no echo of His prayer, When His soul was sore dismayed.

III

Then He held the cup of woe, And the prayer to God was made,-- Thrice in agony He prayed, That He might the draught forego.

IV

But the will of God was done, In the garden, on that night, And He rose in all the might Of the well-beloved Son.

V

Ah, my soul, thy Lord behold,-- Wake from slumber, hear Him pray, All thy griefs are borne away, By His agony, untold.

VI

And the strength of God is thine When the will of God is done In obedience, as a son, Conscious of a love divine.

I

They cried, "Let Him be crucified!" And surging crowds around Him pressed; With breaking heart, and soul distressed, He bore the cross on which He died.

II

They cried, "Let Him be crucified!" And He the well-beloved Son, The Son of God Who should have won The love He never once denied.

III

They cried, "Let Him be crucified!" And to the wood His hands were nailed, And mocking words His ears assailed, That God, Who looked from heaven, defied.

IV

They cried, "Let Him be crucified!" And when the deed of night was done, The light was blotted from the sun, And hell's abode exulting, cried.

V

They cried, "Let Him be crucified!" Ah, Lord, my soul with anguish burns, As to that cruel cross it turns, For 'twas for me the Saviour died.

I

O darkest night that ever fell! Before the sun had set, The light was blotted from the heavens, And death, and darkness met.

II

For God had turned His face away From all the sin He bore, Whom in His love to earth He sent, To bear our suffering sore.

III

Ah! darkest night that ever falls On soul of human race, When God in anger turns away The brightness of His face;

IV

Then, sun and moon, and stars are lost, Amid' our hopeless night; And all the radiant bliss of life Is curtained from our sight.

V

O Christ, Thou art our Light, and Sun, Our Hope 'mid guilty fears; No night surrounds Thy presence now, Nor threatening cloud appears;

VI

And sin and death no longer reign, Nor day to dark declines, For, from the Father's face, a light Of reconcilement shines.

I

Nailed to the cross the Saviour dies, While earth is moved with sore dismay, And e'en the sun, though high at noon, In anguish veils the light of day.

II

Then hell and darkness riot held, And sin and death combined their power To crush the Christ Whom sinful men Had hastened to that awful hour.

III

But O, 'twas darkness deeper still Than o'er the earth in blackness lay, When God beheld the suffering Son, And turned from Him His face away.

IV

Ah! whence that suffering? Whence that woe? The horror felt by earth and sky? The victory of the powers of night, That doomed the God-man there to die?

V

My soul distressed, look up! behold! With light from heaven the earth is filled;-- The Christ that awful conflict met, Because a God of wisdom willed.

VI

Now sin its latest shaft has hurled, And death put forth its utmost might, But, lo, the Christ the conflict stood, And sin and death are vanquished, quite.

VII

Glory to Thee our souls proclaim, Great Son of God, Thou Victor strong; Thy love inspires our hearts to sing, The victory fills our endless song.

I

O Son of God, afflicted, And slain for sinful men, My soul hath oft' depicted What Thou didst suffer then,-- The pain, the grief, the sighing, The burden of Thy woe, The cross, the shame, the dying That filled Thy life below.

II

Ah, why from heavenly blessing Didst Thou to earth descend, And share the woes distressing, To be the sinner's Friend? The angels looked amazéd, While men untouched beheld The Christ to souls debaséd, By love divine impelled.

III

'Twas love, 'twas love unbounded, As high as heaven ascends, As deep as depths unsounded, And broad as earth extends; Yea, 'twas a love undying, That suffered for my sake;-- Lord, may a love replying, Within my soul awake.

I

This be our prayer, O Saviour of our souls, When night is dark, and muttering thunder rolls, For none but Thee the power of hell controls,-- Have mercy, Lord.

II

There is no help, if Thou no help wilt bring; No heavenly messenger on speedy wing; Hope gilds the morn, if to Thy cross we cling,-- Have mercy, Lord.

III

Woeful the threats that flash from Sinai's hill; Dark are the fears, our guilty souls that fill; Help we have none,--O then, of Thy sweet will, Have mercy, Lord.

IV

Strong is the arm that in our cause was raised,-- Christ, be Thy name to endless ages praised, Who, at the hands of sinners was abased;-- Have mercy, Lord.

V

Doomed to our death, the God-man bowed the head; Pierced for our sins, upon the cross He bled; Life is His gift, Who liveth, and was dead;-- Have mercy, Lord;

VI

Life, and to live, amid the bliss beyond, Where souls beloved, to loving souls respond, Free from all bondage in Thy gentle bond,-- Have mercy, Lord.

EASTER

I

Lo, in its brightness the morning arising, Gold on the hilltops in richness is spread; Heaven decks the earth with a beauty surprising, Light is the victor, and darkness hath fled.

II

Lord of the morning, our souls are awaking, Flood them with beauty, and free them from gloom; Morn speaks of joy, for when morning was breaking, Free from death's bands Thou did'st rise from the tomb.

III

Souls that in slumber behold not the beauty, See not the Master arise in His might; Hear not the call to the doing of duty, Know not the rapture that thrills in the light.

IV

Morn speaks of life,--let us rise to new living, Rise with the Lord to the freedom He gives, Give to the world what the morning is giving, Hope that was born in the darkness, and lives.

V

Lo, in its brightness the morning arising,-- Lord of the morning, our darkness dispel; Shine in our souls, till, the sordid despising, Rise we from earth in Thy presence to dwell.

I

In the dark of early morn, Ere the light dispelled the gloom, Came the hearts with sorrow torn, Weeping to the lonely tomb.

II

Brought they aromatics rare Culled from every choicest stem, And from gardens blooming fair Round thy slopes, Jerusalem.

III

Ah, the thoughts that filled the mind, As they journeyed all alone, For the Blessed Lord was kind, And they loved Him as their own.

IV

Glistening in the morning grey, Whence those garments fairer far Than the light that hails the day In the glorious morning star?

V

List! their voices, heavenly, sweet, As the light clad angels say, Come, behold in reverence meet, Where the risen Master lay.

VI

Hail the gladness, hail the day, Bring no spices, bring no tears; Death has lost its power to slay, And the grave is reft of fears.

I

Glory to God! The morn appointed breaks, And earth awakes from all the woeful past, For, with the morn, the Lord of Life awakes, And sin and death into the grave are cast.

II

Glory to God! The cross with all its shame, Now sheds its glory o'er a ransomed world; For He Who bore the burden of our blame, With pierced hands the foe to hell hath hurled.

III

Glory to God! Sing ransomed souls again,-- And let your songs our glorious Victor laud, Who by His might hath snapped the tyrant's chain, And set us free to rise with Him to God.

IV

Darkness and night farewell! the morn is here; Welcome! the light that ushers in the day; Visions of joy before our sight appear, And like the clouds, our sorrows melt away.

V

Great Son of God, Immortal, and renowned! Brighter than morn the glory on Thy brow; Crowns must be won, and Thou art nobly crowned, For death is dead, and sin is vanquished now.

I

Glory to God! the Christ hath left the tomb, And ere the dawn upon the earth had broke, The Light of lights had burst upon its gloom, When He, our Light, from death's dark sleep awoke.

II

Were there no eyes to gaze upon the sight? No hearts to sing, when sundered was the prison? Watchers there were, who lingered through the night, Angels who said, "The Master hath arisen."

III

Where now its sting, since death itself is dead? Where now the power that held the captive bound? Weave laurels gay to crown the Victor's head, Sing carols loud till earth and heaven resound.

IV

Break, happy morn! and let the world be glad, Night is no more, and all our fears are gone; Joy fills the souls that erstwhile had been sad, Hope fills the tomb, where hope had never shone.

V

Sleepers, awake! The Christ from death awoke, Break into song, and let the silence sing, Speak to the world what language never spoke, Bring from a tomb what mourners cannot bring.

VI

Glory to God! The Christ hath left the tomb, Hope in our souls is shining as the sun; Clouds bring no fear, for in the deepest gloom, Rest we in faith,--the Victory is won.

I

Rise, O glorious orb of day,-- Christ no longer fills the grave, He hath risen with power to save,-- Rise, and clear our night away.

II

Day, by seer and psalmist sung, Gladdest day for earth and heaven, For the Christ, Whom God had given, Hath the power from hades wrung.

III

Clouds of darkness, bow the head, Weep in raindrops in the night! Sorrow now is chased from sight, For the living Christ was dead.

IV

Heaven above, and earth below,-- Men and angels raise the strain, Death could not the Christ retain,-- Let your praises endless flow.

V

Ah, the spear, the thorns, the nails, Ah, the dying and the death, And the slow expiring breath,-- But the suffering Christ prevails.

VI

Where can death bestow his prey? Can he hold the Lord of life? Better he had shirked the strife, Than have lost his power for aye.

VII

Rise, O glorious orb of day! Christ no longer fills the grave, He hath risen with power to save,-- Rise, and clear our night away.

ASCENSION

{anabas eis hypsos.}

Ascension.

I

Borne on the clouds the Christ arose To where the light celestial glows, Till, farther than the eye could view, He passed the heavenly portals through.

II

Ended the weary life below, The painful toil, the grief, the woe; The conflict of the cross is past, And sin and death are slain at last.

III

Now, list the heavenly song begun By hosts in garments like the sun; Lift up, lift up your heads, ye gates! The glorious King an entrance waits.

IV

Ascended Christ! in mercy yet, Think of the hearts on Olivet, And in Thy wondrous grace restore Thy living Presence gone before.

V

And let the Spirit's aid revive Our waiting souls that faithful strive, Till from our Olivet we soar, To dwell with Thee for evermore.

{arate pylas.}

I

Lift up the gates, The Lord of heaven appears; Thrust wide the doors, The King of glory nears; The throne is His Whose arm of might O'erthrew the tyrant in the fight.

II

Lift up the gates,-- The gates of hades fell; Thrust wide the doors, He burst the doors of hell, And prisoners in the dark abode, Exulting, hailed the Son of God.

III

Lift up the gates,-- No power His might can meet; Thrust wide the doors, The foe is at His feet; The path is cleared, the prize is won, Enter, Thou all-victorious Son.

IV