Clap your hands, ye forest trees,
For the arms that now entwine
Needy souls, were stretched on thine.
II
And the cross that bore the weight
Of the Christ, Creator great,
By the power that still remains,
All the universe sustains.
III
Emblem, by the Church adored;
Might, that wields the kingly sword;
Glory, of the ransomed host;
Agony, of spirits lost.
IV
Cross of Christ! we lift our eyes
And behold the sacrifice;
For the arms that now entwine
Needy souls, were stretched on thine.
Judgment
I
When in the clouds of heaven
The Lord, the Judge, appears,
When memory brings my sin to light,
And conscience fills with fears,--
In mercy, Lord, have mercy then,
Nor rank my soul with wicked men.
II
I have no plea to give,
The sin is all my own,
I cannot bear the searching glance
Nor for that sin atone;
I can alone that mercy crave,--
O Lord, Thine erring servant save.
III
Didst Thou not come to earth?
Didst Thou not die for me?
And all my sin in mercy bear
Upon the awful tree?
I claim that sacrifice, and pray,
Turn not my erring soul away.
IV
The record of my sin,
In mercy, Lord, remove,
And to a place at Thy right hand
Call Thou my soul, in love;
That love divine I make my plea,
O may that love encircle me.
{ton piston oiketen sou, anapauson}
{hos eusplanchnos.}
Burial of a priest
I
Rest in the Lord, O servant by His grace,
Dwell in His courts, and gaze upon His face,
Know nought of toil, of weariness, or woe,
They rest who serve, not weary, as below.
II
Rest in the Lord, the strife of war is past,
Wear now the wreath of victory at last;
E'en death is slain,--the cross of Christ sufficed,
Death is not death, to those who live in Christ.
III
Rest in the Lord, the goal of life is won,
To thee 'tis given to hear the glad "Well done";
Great their reward, who, till their Lord appear,
Serve in the vineyard of the Master, here.
IV
Rest in the Lord; none can His honour claim,
They honour have, who honour most His name;
Thine this reward who counted gain but loss,
Nor felt it shame to glory in the cross.
V
Rest in the Lord; swift comes the happy time,
When we who strive shall reach Thy fairer clime;
Christ, give us welcome when the toil is past,
And bring us to the bliss of heaven, at last.
{makaria he hodos, he poreue semeron, hoti}
{hetoimasthe soi topos anapauseos.}
Burial of a layman
I
Thou dost not pass a lonesome way,
O soul released from mortal coil,--
Thou leav'st behind the weight and toil,
And thou art blessed of God to-day.
II
The path thou treadest He hath trod
Whom heaven received from death's abode,--
He knows each turning of the road
That brings the unburdened soul to God.
III
It is not dark, it is not sad,
It is not haunted now with fear,--
The saints have found it full of cheer,
For with His comfort they were glad.
IV
Yea, with His presence thou art blest,
And light upon the path is shed,
For lo, He liveth Who was dead,
And thou art journeying to thy rest.
V
'Tis we, not thou, who are distressed,
For, blessed, blessed, is the way,
O soul, thou journeyest to-day,
That leads to everlasting rest.
Psalm I
I
The man who erring counsel shuns,
Nor strays where sinners meet,
But in the law of God delights
In meditation sweet,
Shall reap the happiness of those
To whom the Lord His favour shews.
II
As tree beside the water brooks
Whose leaf unfading lives,
And when the time appointed comes,
A bounteous fruitage gives;--
So shall he prosper all his days,
Whose hope is in God's law always.
III
Not so the wicked,--they are chaff
Before the wind that flies,
Nor could they stand His searching glance,
Should God in judgment rise;
For known to God are all the right,
But wicked men shall perish quite.
Psalm II
Morning
I
Lord, a band of foes increasing
Terror to my heart would bring;
For they tell my soul unceasing,
That no help from God can spring.
II
Yet Thou art my shield about me,
Till the time of strife is past;
And though cruel foes may flout me,
Thou wilt hear my prayer at last.
III
On my couch when night was falling,
Lay I down devoid of fear;
And when morning light was calling,
I awoke, for thou wert near.
IV
Tens of thousands round my dwelling
Stand arrayed to do me harm;
But my trust when foes are swelling,
Rests in Thine almighty arm.
V
Rise, O Lord, for Thou, victorious,
Hast the might of sin o'erthrown,
And amid Thy triumph glorious,
Bless the people Thou dost own.
Psalm XXVII
Verses 1-6
I
Light of my life, O Lord, Thou art,
No fear afflicts my trusting heart
When, all secure in Thee
As in a fortress I repose,
And evil men, my direst foes,
Are baulked that trouble me,
II
Hosts may encamp on every side,
And pallid fear the trust deride
That saves me from affright;
But in the Lord my hope shall last,
Till noise of war and strife are past,
And flee the powers of night.
III
To God I make this chief request,
That I in His abode may rest
Through all my earthly days,
To mark its comeliness and grace,
And see the beauty of His face,
Whose love inspires my praise.
IV
There shall I dwell unseen by all,
Secure when days of trouble call,
And evil doers mock;
And He shall hide me in His tent,
Till all the wrath of man is spent
As tempests on a rock.
V
Therefore to Thee my praise I'll give,
And joyful offerings while I live
My grateful soul shall bring;
For Thou my foes hast beaten down,
With victory Thou my head dost crown,
And tun'st my heart to sing.
Morning
I
From the hills the light is streaming,
Hail, the gladsome morn!
Earth with busy life is teeming,
For the day is born.
II
Dawn, Thou Light of lights, undying
On a fairer day,
All creation beautifying
With Thy glorious ray.
III
Weary eyes the hills are scanning
For the early gleam;
Souls, Thy long delay unmanning,
Sleep, and idly dream.
IV
Ah, my soul, be up and doing,
Life will soon be done,
Night, the day is close pursuing
To the setting sun.
V
And the day of God shall waken
To the soul with fear,
If, the call of life forsaken,
We are slumbering here.
VI
From the hills the light is streaming,
Hail the gladsome morn!
And the light of God is beaming,--
This, His day, is born.
Evening
I
The day declines to night,
The shadows lengthening fall,
And see, the deepening purple light
Throws on the hills its pall;--
Lord, be our Light when suns decline,
And in our souls unclouded shine.
II
Still is the eventide,--
Calm is the soft repose,
When earthly toil is laid aside,
And eyelids drooping, close;
Lord, let Thy peace my soul possess,
In everlasting restfulness.
III
Night of my life draws near;
Lord, when the light departs,
Be all to me that Thou hast been
To other trusting hearts,
And in the calm that night bestows,
Let me in peace with Thee repose.
IV
The night gives place to morn,
The gloom shall pass away,
And an eternal day be born,
Whose sun shall shine for aye;
Lord, wake me when the morn is come,
And let me find with Thee my home.
The New Year
All-embracing as the Greek Service Books are, curiously enough, strictly
speaking, they contain no Thanksgiving services. It has been left for the
Russian Church to make them for the Greeks to imitate.
The models of the Ectene and Litanies are found in the Euchologion, at
vespers, but adaptations of their petitions to every eventuality in human
life, are the work of Russians, whose names, however, have not been
preserved. Here is an example from the Thanksgiving service for the New
Year.
I
Lord, let us feel that Thou art near,
And while we pray, in mercy hear;
Crown with Thy love the opening year;--
Have mercy, Lord.
II
Of Thy benignity, we pray,
Thy gracious Spirit grant alway,
Our strife and discord to allay;--
Have mercy, Lord.
III
May peace our inmost soul possess,
And in our lives our converse bless,
With unaffected kindliness;--
Have mercy, Lord.
IV
Our sinful past, we here repent,
With tears our wayward course lament,
Now, let Thy pardoning grace be sent;--
Have mercy, Lord.
V
As seasons come, Good Lord ordain
That we the fruits of earth obtain,
Send us the sunshine and the rain;--
Have mercy, Lord.
VI
With strength Thy Holy Church endue,
The anger of her foes subdue,
The offerings of Thy grace renew;--
Have mercy, Lord.
Harvest Hymn
I
Come, praise with gladness the Lord of all creation,
Heaven tells His glory, earth His bounty shews;
Lowly He sought us, and won for us salvation,
Grace fills our lives with goodness He bestows.
_Refrain._
Bountiful Giver, Thine be the praise,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, always.
II
Spring time and harvest, and cloud and summer gladness,
Come to our earth because His promise lives;
Morn smiles with beauty, and evening soothes our sadness;--
Such are the treasures that His bounty gives.
_Refrain._
III
Spring time is now, and summer with its beauty;
Brightness and sadness here alternate come;
Lord, may the flowers, and fruits of love and duty,
Blossom and ripen for Thy harvest home.
_Refrain._
IV
Then when the angels, the reapers at the ending,
Gather the fruitage which our lives have grown,
May we with gladness, angel toil attending,
Sing of the harvest at the heavenly home.
_Refrain._
Bountiful Giver, Thine be the praise,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, always.
PENITENCE AND LOVE
I
Now with my weeping would I cleanse my soul,
And with my grief would shame my sin away;
But tears no virtue have to make me whole,
Nor sorrow power to end sin's hateful sway.
II
But yet the heart in sore distress that sighs,
Looks to the Christ His succour to impart;
And God receives the pleasing sacrifice,
A broken spirit, and a contrite heart.
III
Nailed to the cross I see my Saviour bleed,--
This is the sacrifice my soul requires;
Here is the cleansing, and the power I need,
To quell the rising of my vain desires.
IV
Speak to my heart, O Jesus Christ, Who came
Fired by Thy love, an offering for sin;
And by a love enkindled at that flame,
Win me forever from the self within.
I
O God of love, on bended knee,
We, guilty sinners, call on Thee;
Now, by the cross that Jesus bore,
Extend Thy mercy, we implore.
II
We have no plea to urge but this,
Our own exceeding sinfulness,
And all the love to sinners shown
Who claim His merits as their own.
III
Ah, weary with the toil of sin,
We seek Thy matchless grace to win;
Lord, break the fetters that enslave,
And let us know Thy power to save.
IV
Rise on the darkness of the way
That leads from night to perfect day,
And let the joy that light awakes
Possess the soul that sin forsakes.
V
O Christ, to Thee our praise ascends,
Whose love the needy soul befriends;
For, by Thy cross our souls are free
To love and praise, eternally.
I
O God, in mercy hear,
I lift my cry to Thee,
And let Thy gracious help be sent
In my perplexity;
But Thou art far away,
And I am filled with shame,
I cannot see Thy blessed face,
And fear to name Thy name.
II
And now a sense of guilt
Inspires me with dismay,--
I know that none on earth can take
That awful load away;
'Tis mine, the sin, 'tis mine,
And mine the guilt to bear,
The awful burden of the blame,
The cloud of dark despair.
III
Is there no balm to heal?
No pity that can bless?--
O God, Who art so far away,
Be near in my distress;
And heed the tears I shed,
And hear my woeful cry;
And since there is no hand to help,
Come Thou in mercy nigh.
IV
'Twas then a voice I heard,--
It came in winning tone,
Across my night, from far away,
To where I prayed alone;
It told me of a love,
That sought me long ago,
And on the cross my burden bore,
Of sin, and guilt, and woe.
V
O blessed cross of Christ!
Thou hast my need supplied,
For there, upon thy outstretched arms
I see the Crucified;
And He has sin to bear,
That none can call His own,--
O Christ, the sin and guilt Thou bor'st,
Are mine, are mine, alone.
I
Come to the Christ in tears,
And in His hearing tell
Thy sins, and griefs, and fears,
The wants He knoweth well;
Fear not to bring a large request,
He gives, and giveth of His best.
II
Come to the Christ in tears:
The contrite heart He wills;
And every prayer He hears,
And every vessel fills;--
We never ask, and sigh unblest,
He gives, and giveth of His best.
III
Come to the Christ in tears;--
As when the clouds depart
A glorious light appears--
So joy shall flood the heart;
They cannot weep who share His grace,
And see the smiling of His face.
I
Forgive my heart its vain regrets,
And, as I cast my eyes behind,
Subdue the spirit, Lord, that frets,
Because the light with dark is twined.
II
I cannot understand the way
By which unerring wisdom leads;
Nor do I know for what to pray,
Unconscious of my deepest needs.
III
Thou, Whose almighty power upholds
The stars that in their courses move,--
Whose eye creation's need beholds
To prompt the outflow of Thy love;--
IV
Teach me in calm content to live
'Mid all the changes life contains,
Assured that, love and wisdom give
The blessing that for aye remains.
V
And in the darkness and the light,
And in the gladness and the pain,
Make me to know that all is right,
And every loss my truest gain.
{porrho ekpheuxometha kosmou, hapan to hamartema.}
I
Far let me flee from worldly sin,
Nor look behind, but onward press;
Lest the deceit that lurks within,
Should link the soul to worldliness.
II
Ah! whither shall I flee, my God?
There is no refuge but in Thee,
And Thy command exceeding broad,
Condemns my soul's perversity.
III
But in Thy grace my troubled soul
Would find forgiveness freely given;
And in Thy Spirit's firm control,
A power to lift me nearer heaven.
IV
Thus shall I flee from worldly sin,
Nor look behind, but onward press,
And daily fight, and daily win
The rich reward of righteousness.
I
Lord of mercy, at Thy gate,
Needy souls imploring pray;
Have we come, Good Lord, too late?
Must we turn in grief away?
II
Young and old Thy mercy claim,--
Some are early at the gate,
Some are late to own Thy name,
Surely none, though late, too late!
III
Blessed, who with morning sun,
Hopeful at Thy portals wait;
Yea, and when the day is done,
Blessed they who find the gate.
IV
Ah, Good Lord, when Thou wert here,
Homeless, in our world of sin,
Few, to give Thee warmth and cheer,
Called their weary Lord within.
V
Sad, repenting, full of fear,
Hoping, doubting, still we wait;
As we call, in mercy hear;--
Open, Lord, to us the gate.
I
Burdened with a heavy load,
Lord, we come, for Thou art calling;
Rough and toilsome is the road,
And the night around is falling.
II
Sin, the burden that we bear,
Fills us with a dread to meet Thee;
Yet, we yield not to despair,
But for mercy would entreat Thee.
III
From the cross a glorious light
Falls upon our path to cheer us;
And a hope on pinions bright
Hovers, in the darkness, near us.
IV
For the sake of Him Who bore
All the sin, we come lamenting,
Let Thy pardon now restore
Sinners, at Thy feet, repenting.
I
Lord of a countless throng,
Fair as the stars of night,
Won from the thrall of cruel wrong
Back to the good and right;
Thine is the praise they sing,
Lord of their souls, and King.
II
Thine was the love that sought
Far as their wanderings led;
Thine was the wondrous grace that brought
Life to the faint and dead;
Pardon for all the past,
Peace that shall endless last.
III
Lord of a countless throng
Sworn to be faithful aye,
When, in the power that makes them strong,
They stand in evil day;
Make us by grace, we pray,
Loyal and brave as they.
I
Let all the world abroad
In cheerful praise unite
To bless the name of God,
Creator, Lord of might.
II
He made the sea and land,
The pastures rolling wide,
The mountains towering, grand,
The streams that ceaseless glide;
III
The cattle on the hills,
The flocks afield that rove,
The birds, whose music fills
The silence of the grove;
IV
The heavens that, day and night,
His matchless power declare,
The sun and moon, whose light
Illumines everywhere.
V
Let man, creation's lord,
His rightful homage give
To Him Whose mighty word
First called his soul to live.
VI
And with the heavenly host,
Our Sovereign Lord adore,
And Son, and Holy Ghost,
Both now, and evermore.
I
Thou Saviour of our sinful race,
We sing the fulness of Thy grace;
Lord, as our songs in rapture soar,
On us Thy loving-kindness pour.
II
There is no merit of our own,
No plea to offer, save alone
That Thou hast died upon the tree,
To set our sin-bound spirits free.
III
O, when the world, in awful fear,
Beholds the Judge of all appear,
Be this our joy on that dread day,
That Christ hath borne our sins away.
IV
When in the land of bliss divine,
Our souls in robes of beauty shine,
This be our song before the throne,
Not ours the beauty, Thine alone.
V
To Thee, O God, be glory given,
And to the Christ, the King of heaven;
And to the Holy Spirit, blest,
Be praise for evermore exprest.
I
Where the Lord reveals His presence,
Glory lights the sacred place,
And the soul in adoration
Falls before the throne of grace.
II
Seraphim, and saints in wonder,
Lift their songs where Christ is set,
And employ, in sacred homage,
Harp, and palm, and coronet.
III
Light of lights, no light approacheth,--
Sun, nor moon, nor stars of night,
Flood the noon-tide and the darkness
With such radiance of delight.
IV
Beauty of the King Immortal!
Ere we rise to where Thou art,
Let the glory of Thy presence
Chase the darkness from our heart.
I
O Love of God, surpassing far
The loves that human hearts unite,
Far from our ken as yonder star
That sheds its radiance on the night;
II
High as the heavens, and deep as hell,
Broad as the world's infinite need,--
None but the Christ that love can tell,
And none its winning power impede.
III
Glory to God! that love exprest
Came in the gift our need required,
And in the Christ our lives are blest,
And by His love are souls inspired.
IV
And from the manger to the cross,
And at the noon-day and the night,
He bore the burden of our loss,
Nor shunned the anguish and despite.
V
And 'twas the love of God He showed,
When, crowned with shame, He meekly died;--
No gifts by bleeding love bestowed,
So great as Jesus crucified.
I
O God of our salvation,
Who in Thy glorious might,
Didst speak, and all creation
Arose from brooding night;
And chaos, and confusion,
To form and order sped,
While lo! in rich profusion
The earth its beauty spread.
II
O God of our salvation,
Thy word hath still its power,
And souls in desolation
Are lying at this hour;
Speak as of old, and banish
The chaos and the night,
And bid their sorrows vanish
Before Thy glorious light.
III
O God of our salvation,
Thy Word our Flesh became;
To free from condemnation
He bore our human name,
And spoke to us confiding
Of all the Father willed;
And we, with Him abiding,
Are with His fulness filled.
IV
O God of our salvation,
Thou, Christ, in mercy come,
And make Thy new creation
Thine everlasting home;
And in our hearts abiding,
And in Thy Church adored,
Still speak the word confiding,
O Jesus Christ, our Lord.
I
O Jesus, when my guilty fears
My wakened soul distress,
And Judgment for the past appears
In all its awfulness,--
Bid gathering clouds asunder roll,
And shed Thy sunshine in my soul.
II
When from their long-forgotten grave
My guilty deeds arise,
And terror proves me yet the slave
My soul would fain despise,--
From stings of memory heal my soul,
And free me from sin's dire control.
III
O Lord, in Whom my hope is set,
I look in faith to Thee;
From sin, and guilt, and sad regret,
My soul in mercy free;--
For, in that mercy, Lord, I trust,
And lie, repenting, in the dust.
I
Lord, I am Thine, for Thou hast died for me;
Thy claim I own, and give myself to Thee;
Not with the price of gold, of gold most fine
Hast Thou redeemed my soul, and made me Thine.
II
Thy blood was shed upon the awful tree;
I marvel at the love there shown for me
All loveless, and to sin and self a slave;--
Thy gifts enriched me, yet I nothing gave.
III
Now in its wonder would my soul arise,
Shorn of all pride, but precious in Thine eyes,
Who for its life Thy glory laidst aside,
And wore its shame, and for its purchase died;
IV
And fired with love, that wondrous love proclaim
In life, in death, in fealty to Thy name;
In loving service, for such service given,
Here upon earth, and yonder in Thy heaven.
V
Lord, I am Thine, Thy love hath won my soul;
Now shall my life obey such sweet control;--
No, not mine own, the purchase is complete,
I bring my all to lay it at Thy feet.
ASPIRATIONS
I
Lord, let our eyes the things unseen behold,
And, 'mid the glory that like sunset dies,
Fair to the sight the wondrous bliss unfold
That lives in beauty under cloudless skies.
II
And let our ears the things unuttered hear,
That silent voices to the soul can tell;
That heart can whisper when a heart is near
Of love that scorns in uttered tones to dwell.
III
Teach us to know that things unseen are real,
That earth no bloom of fadeless beauty gives,
That far beyond the things that sense can feel,
The joy of being, and of having, lives.
IV
Lord Who hast risen, nor left the world behind,
Daily incline our sense-bound souls to soar,
Till 'mong the things all hidden we may find
Possessions that abide for evermore.
I
Wake to the songs that lips unsullied sing,
And let their tones responsive echoes call,--
There's more to cheer us than our senses bring,
And sweeter anthems than from mortals fall.
II
Saints in the land where sin is all unknown,
Where care nor sorrow can the light subdue,
Dwell in the glory of the heavenly throne,
And voice new praise, for wonders ever new.
III
Wake to their praise, and let us blend with theirs
Songs that shall travel to a fairer clime;
Glad as the morn, and hallowed by our prayers,
Offerings of duty from the realm of time.
VI
One, we are one with victors gone before;
Songs that are ours, were theirs when in the strife;
Theirs shall be ours when, all our striving o'er,
Christ gives us entrance to immortal life.
I
Bring to the Christ your fears,
And tell your sorrows there,
The faintest cry he hears,
And every faltering prayer;
He knows your weight of woe,
Who dwelt with us below.
II
With thought of sin opprest,
Does conscience smite thee sore?
There is a place of rest,
Where sin afflicts no more;
See, where the blood was spilt,
The cross hath borne thy guilt.
III
Think you of former bliss,
Of happier, sunnier hours,
When fragrant joys you miss,
Bestrewed your path like flowers?
With Christ more joys abound,
Than can on earth be found.
IV
Mourn you a heart estranged,
Once kind, but now grown cold?
A happy friendship changed,
Now that the years are old?
There is a Friend above,
And His, a lasting love.
V
Is there an empty room
Where silence broods alone,
All curtained round with gloom,
Where once the sunlight shone?
Hearts that are linked below,
In Christ no parting know.
VI
Bring then to Christ your fears,
And tell your sorrows there,
The faintest cry He hears,
And every faltering prayer;
He knows your weight of woe,
Who dwelt with us below.
I
Lord, soothe my anxious, troubled soul,
And bid its doubting cease,
Speak to the crested waves that roll,
To sink in quiet peace;
And bring me to a place of rest,
A haven calm and still,
Where every soul by sin distressed,
May dwell secure from ill.
II
Ah! Thou wert once, my Blessed Lord,
By surging waters pressed,
But Thou didst speak th' almighty word
And laidst them still at rest;
And 'gainst Thy soul the wrath of sin
Its tempest fury cast,
But Thou didst stand, serene within,
Till all the storm had passed.
III
O Christ, the hiding-place of those
Who face the blinding blast,
And battle with a myriad woes
That sweep in fury past;
Be Thou my comfort and defence,
While storm fiends wildly cry,--
My star of hope when night is dense,
And dangers round me lie.
I
Surpassing great the gift of God
To erring mortals given,
A way that, from their dark abode,
Leads to the light of heaven.
II
O Christ Who art the living way,
Plant Thou my feet therein,
And lead me lest I go astray
In luring paths of sin.
III
Too long I've found a sad delight
In wandering from Thy care,
Nor feared the sudden fall of night,
The darkness, and the snare.
IV
O Jesus Christ, to Thee my soul
In conscious weakness clings;
Teach me to seek the kind control
That peace and safety brings.
V
And lead me upwards day by day,
Till, night and danger past,
I reach by Thee the living way,
The Father's house at last.
I
My hope is firmly set
On Him Whose truth abides;
The lights of earth may fade and die,
The hopes of earth despairing fly,--
No fear my heart betides.
II
My love its ardour finds
In Him Whose love is strong,
Who bought me with a price untold,
More than of silver or of gold,
And fills my heart with song.
III
My peace its calm attains
In Him Whose power defends;
My foes may sound a loud alarm,
I trust securely in the arm
He for my succour lends.
IV
My joy its gladness sings
In notes His voice awakes,--
A joy no effort can attain,
That thrills alike in loss and gain,
And when the world forsakes.
V