O THOU, Who through this holy Week
Didst suffer for us all,
The sick to heal, the lost to seek,
To raise up them that fall:
We cannot understand the woe
Thy love was pleas'd to bear:
O Lamb of GOD! we only know
That all our hopes are there!
Thy Feet the path of suffering trod;
Thy Hand the victory won:
What shall we render to our GOD
For all that He hath done?
TO GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON,
And God the HOLY GHOST,
By men on earth be honour done,
And by the heavenly host.
Now, my soul, thy voice upraising,
Sing the Cross in mournful strain ;
Tell the sorrows all-amazing,
Tell the Wounds, the dying pain,
Which our Saviour
Sinless bore, for sinners slain.
He, the cruel scourge enduring,
Ransom for our sins to pay,
By His Stripes transgressors curing,
Raising those who wounded lay,
Bore our sorrows,
And remov'd our pains away.
He to freedom hath restor❜d us
By the very bonds He bare;
His nail-pierced Limbs afford us
Each a stream of mercy rare:
Nail'd, He draws us
To the Cross, and keeps us there.
When His painful life was ended,
From that Fount, His wounded Side, Blood and Water straight descended, Each a Sacramental tide;
One to cleanse us,
One to feed our souls, applied.
JESU! may Thy promis'd blessing
Comfort to our souls afford;
May we, now Thy love possessing,
And at length our full reward,
Ever praise Thee,
Thee, our ever-glorious LORD!
By the Cross, sad vigil keeping,
Stood the Mother doleful, weeping,
Where He hung, the dying LORD:
For her soul, of joy bereaved,
Smit with anguish, deeply grieved,
Felt the sharp, the piercing sword.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Now was she, that Mother blessed
Of the High, Eternal One !
Woe-begone, with heart's prostration,
Mother meek, the bitter Passion
Saw she of her glorious SON.
Who, on Christ's fond Mother looking,
Such extreme affliction brooking,
Born of woman, would not weep ? Who, on Christ's fond Mother thinking, Such a cup of sorrow drinking,
Would not share her sorrows deep?
For His people's sins rejected,
She her JESUS unprotected
Saw with thorns, with scourges rent:
Saw her Son from judgment taken,
Her Belov'd in death forsaken,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
With Thy Mother's deep devotion
Make me feel her strong emotion,
Fount of love, Redeemer kind!
That my heart, fresh ardour proving,
Thee my GOD and Saviour loving,
May with Thee acceptance find!
ALL people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the LORD with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell,
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
The LORD, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make:
We are His flock, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
Oh, enter then His gates with praise,
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His Name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
For why? the LORD our GOD is good,
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.
JESUS CHRIST is risen to-day, ALLELUIA! Our triumphant Holiday, ALLELUIA! Who did once upon the Cross, ALLELUIA!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia !
Love's redeeming work is done, ALLE
Fought the fight, the battle won; ALLELUIA!
Christ hath open'd Paradise, ALLELUIA! As He rose His saints shall rise. ALLELUIA!
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