151

C. M.

Scotch Psalter, 1615

Accord-ing to Thy gra-cious word, In meek hu - mil i

ty,

1 O God, unseen, yet ever near,
Thy presence may we feel;
And thus, inspired with holy fear,
Before Thine altar kneel.

2 Here may Thy faithful people know
The blessings of Thy love;

The streams that through the desert flow,
The manna from above.

3 We come, obedient to Thy word,
To feast on heavenly food:
Our meat, the body of the Lord;
Our drink, His precious blood.

4 Thus would we all Thy words obey,
For we, O God, are Thine;
And go rejoicing on our way,
Renewed with strength divine.

E. Osler, 1836

153

L. M.

German, 1605

My God, and is Thy ta-ble spread, And does Thy cup with loveo'erflow?

Thither be all Thy children led, And let them all its sweetness know.

2 Hail, sacred feast, which Jesus makes, Rich banquet of His flesh and blood! Thrice happy he who here partakes That sacred stream, that heavenly flood!

3 O let Thy table honored be,
And furnished well with worthy

guests;

And may each soul salvation see
That here its sacred pledges tastes!
P. Doddridge, 1755

154

1 Jesus, the very thought is sweet;
In that dear name all heart-joys meet;
But O, than honey sweeter far,
The glimpses of His presence are.

2 No word is sung more sweet than this;
No name is heard more full of bliss;
No thought brings sweeter comfort nigh
Than Jesus, Son of God most high.

3 Jesus, the hope of souls forlorn,
How good to them for sin that mourn!
To them that seek Thee, O how kind!
But what art Thou to them that find?

4 Jesus, Thou sweetness, pure and blest,
Truth's fountain, light of souls distressed,
Surpassing all the heart requires,
Exceeding all the soul desires!

5 No tongue of mortal can express,
No pen can write its blessedness:
He only who hath proved it knows
What bliss from love of Jesus flows.

6 O Jesus, King of wondrous might!
O Victor, glorious from the fight!
Sweetness that may not be expressed,
And altogether loveliest!

7 Remain with us, O Lord, today!

In every heart Thy grace display:

That now the shades of night are fled,

On Thee our spirits may be fed.

8 I seek for Jesus in repose,

When round my heart its chambers close;
Abroad, and when I shut the door,
I long for Jesús evermore.

9 With Mary in the morning gloom
I seek for Jesus at the tomb;

For Him, with love's most earnest cry,
I seek with heart and not with eye.

10 Jesus, to God the Father gone,

Is seated on the heavenly throne:
My heart hath also passed from me,
That where He is there it may be.
11 We follow Jesus now, and raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise,
That He at last may make us meet
With Him to gain the heavenly seat.
Bernard of Clairvaux, ca. 1150

L. Bourgeois, 1551

gift and giv - er,

With His own flesh and blood our souls doth nourish;

May they grow there - by and flour-ish! Lord, have mer-cy on

us.

Thine own moth-er Mary came, By the drops which Thou did'st bleed,

Help us

in the hour of need. Lord, have mercy on

us.

2 Thou hast to death Thy holy body given,

Life to win for us in heaven

By stronger love, dear Lord, Thou could'st not bind us,
Whereof this should well remind us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, Thy love constrained Thee for our good

Mighty things to do by Thy dear blood,

Thou hast paid the debt we owed,

Thou hast made our peace with God.

Lord, have mercy on us.

3 May God bestow on us His grace and blessing,
That, His holy footsteps tracing,

We walk as brethren dear in love and union,
Nor repent this sweet communion.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Let not us the Holy Ghost forsake,

May He grant that we the right way take;

That poor Christendom may see

Days of peace and unity.

Lord, have mercy on us.

M. Luther. 1524