The moon above, the church below,
A wondrous race they run;
But all their radiance, all their glow,
Each borrows of its Sun.
The Saviour lends the light and heat
That crown His holy hill:
The saints, like stars, around His seat
Perform their courses still.
Thou, Who hast given me eyes to see
And love this sight so fair,
Give me a heart to find out Thee,
And read Thee everywhere.
THE heavens declare Thy glory, Lord,
Which that alone can fill;
The firmament and stars express
Their great Creator's skill.
The dawn of each returning day
Fresh beams of knowledge brings;
And from the dark returns of night
Divine instruction springs.
God's perfect law converts the soul,
Reclaims from false desires;
With sacred wisdom His sure word
The ignorant inspires.
The statutes of the Lord are just,
And bring sincere delight;
His pure commands, in search of truth,
Assist the feeblest sight.
ALMIGHTY God, Thy word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heaven descend,
And plenteous fruits abound.
Let not the foe of Christ and man
This holy seed remove;
But give it root in every heart,
To bring forth fruits of love.
Let not the world's deceitful cares
The rising plant destroy;
But let it yield a hundred-fold
The fruits of peace and joy.
Where'er the precious seed is sown,
Thy quickening grace bestow;
That all whose souls the truth receive
Its saving power may know.
FATHER of mercies, hear,
Thy pardon we implore;
While daily through this sacred Fast,
Our prayers and tears we pour.
Searcher of hearts, to Thee
Our helplessness is known;
Be then to those who seek Thy face
Thy free forgiveness shown.
How numberless our sins,
Lord, we confess with shame;
Yet spare, and heal our broken hearts,
Spare, for Thy glorious name.
THE sacred season now doth call,
A solemn fast to keep,
And bids both priest and people all
Within the temple weep.
But come not Thou with tears alone,
And outward form of woe;
Let grief in penitence be shewn,
And tears for sin that flow.
Thy breast to beat, thy clothes to rend
God asketh not of thee;
The stubborn soul He bids thee bend
In true humility.
O! let us then with heartfelt grief
Draw near unto our God,
And pray to Him to grant relief,
And stay the uplifted rod.
O righteous Judge, in mercy deign
To grant us all we need;
We pray for time to turn again,
And grace to turn indeed.
O LORD, turn not Thy face from me
Who lie in woful state,
Lamenting all my sinful life,
Before Thy mercy gate :
A gate that opens wide to those
That do lament their sin :
Shut not that gate against me, Lord
But let me enter in.
And call me not to strict account
How I have sojourned here,
For then my guilty conscience knows
How vile I shall appear.
Mercy, good Lord, I mercy ask;
This is the total sum:
For mercy, Lord, is all my suit;
O let Thy mercy come!
O HELP us, Lord; each hour of need
Thy heavenly succour give;
Help us in thought, and word, and deed,
Each hour on earth we live!
O help us when our spirits bleed
With contrite anguish sore;
And when our hearts grow cold and dead,
O help us, Lord, the more!
O help us through the prayer of faith,
More firmly to believe;
For still the more the servant hath,
The more shall he receive.
O help us, Jesu, from on high;
We know no help but Thee!
O help us so to live and die
As Thine in heaven to be!
SAVIOUR, when, in dust, to Thee,
Low we bend the adoring knee,
When, repentant, to the skies
Scarce we lift our streaming eyes;
Oh! by all Thy pains and woe,
Suffered once for man below,
Bending from Thy throne on high,
Hear our solemn Litany.
By Thy birth and early years,
By Thy human griefs and fears,
By Thy fasting and distress
In the lonely wilderness,
By Thy victory in that hour
Of the subtle tempter's power;
Jesu, look with pitying eye,
Hear our solemn Litany.
By Thine hour of dark despair,
By Thine agony of prayer,
By Thy purple robe of scorn,
By Thy wounds, Thy crown of thorn,
By Thy cross, Thy pangs and cries,
By Thy perfect sacrifice;
Jesu, look with pitying eye,
Hear our solemn Litany.
By the deep expiring groan
By the sealed sepulchral stone,
By Thy triumph o'er the grave,
By Thy power from death to save ;
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