For if thou mean'st to look upon The wrong and evil that is done, Who, Lord, can stand before thee?

With thee availeth nought but grace To cover trespa.s.s mortal; Our good deeds cannot show their face, In best life they come short all.

Before thee no one glory can, And so must tremble every man, And live by thy grace only.

Hope therefore in my G.o.d will I, On my deserts nought founding; Upon him shall my heart rely, All on his goodness grounding.

What his true word doth promise me My comfort shall and refuge be; That will I always wait for.

And if it last into the night, And last again till morning, Yet shall my heart hope in G.o.d's might, Despair and foresight scorning.

Thus Israel must keep his post, For he was born of the Holy Ghost, And for his G.o.d must tarry.

Although our sin be great; G.o.d's grace Is greater to relieve us; His hand from helping nothing stays, Howe'er the hurt be grievous.

The shepherd good alone is He, Who will at last set Israel free, From all and every trespa.s.s.

XIV. _THE LORD'S SUPPER_.

I.

A SONG OF ST. JOHN HUSS, IMPROVED BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER.

Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born, Who from us did G.o.d's anger turn Through his sufferings sore and main Help he us all out of h.e.l.l-pain!

That we never should forget it, Gave he us his flesh, to eat it, Hid in poor bread, gift divine, And, to drink, his blood in the wine.

Who will draw near to that table, Must take heed, all he is able!

Who unworthy thither goes, Thence death instead of life he sows.

G.o.d the Father praise thou duly, That he thee would feed so truly, And for ill deeds by thee done Up unto death has given his son.

Have this faith, and do not waver, 'Tis a food for every craver Who, his heart with sin opprest, Can no more for its anguish rest.

Such kindness and such grace to get Seeks a heart with labour great.

Is it well with thee? take care Lest at last thou shouldst evil fare.

He doth say, Come hither, O ye Poor, that I may pity show ye: From the leech the sound will start, And make a mockery of his art.

Hadst thou any skill to offer Why for thee should I then suffer?

Table this is not for thee If saviour thou thine own canst be.

If such faith thy heart possesses And the same thy mouth confesses, Fit guest then thou art indeed And so this food thy soul will feed.

But bear fruit, or lose thy labour: Take thou heed thou love thy neighbour, That thou food to him mayst be As thy G.o.d makes himself to thee.

II.

A SONG OF PRAISE.

Let G.o.d be blest, be praised, and be thanked, Who to us himself hath granted This his own flesh and blood to feed and save us!

May we take right what he gave us: Lord, be merciful to us.

By thy holy body dead in shame, Lord, which from thy mother, Mary, came, And by thy holy blood Ease us, Lord, from all our load: Lord, be merciful to us.

The holy body is for us laid lowly Down in death, that we live holy; No greater goodness he to us could render Than make us mind his love tender.

Lord, be merciful to us.

Lord, thy love so great was, it hath driven Thee to death, and us great gifts hath given Our old debt it has paid, And G.o.d has gracious made: Lord, be merciful to us.

G.o.d on us all his blessing free bestow now That we in his ways may go now, Right-hearted love and brother-truth ensuing, Never the Lord's supper ruing!

Lord, be merciful to us.

Let thy good Ghost us not forsake, Let him make us the just way take That thy poor Christendom Into peace and union come!

Lord, be merciful to us.

XV. _DEATH_.

I.

In the midst of life, we are Aye in Death's embraces.

Who is there who help us can And in safety place us?

Lord, thou art he, thou only.

From our ill deeds we sorrowing turn That have made thy anger burn.

Holy, holy Lord G.o.d, Holy, mighty Lord G.o.d, Holy Saviour with the tender heart, Everlasting G.o.d, Let us not be swallowed In the misery of death: Lord, have mercy upon us.

In the midst of death, behold h.e.l.l's jaws gaping at us!

Who will from such dire distress Free and scathless set us?

Lord, that dost thou, thou only: It fills thy tender heart with woe We should sin and suffer so.

Holy, holy Lord G.o.d, Holy, mighty Lord G.o.d, Holy Saviour with the tender heart, Everlasting G.o.d, Let us not be gasted By h.e.l.l's hollows all aglow: Lord, have mercy upon us.

When amidst the pains of h.e.l.l Us our sins are baiting; Whither shall we flee away Where relief is waiting?

To thee, Lord Christ, thee only Who didst outpour thy precious blood For our sins sufficing good: Holy, holy Lord G.o.d, Holy, mighty Lord G.o.d, Holy Saviour with the tender heart, Everlasting G.o.d, Let us not fall from thee, From comfort of the right faith: Lord, have mercy upon us.

II.

SIMEON THE PATRIARCH'S SONG OF PRAISE.

In peace and joy I now depart, For G.o.d hath willed it.

Comforted is my mind and heart, For he hath stilled it; As my G.o.d did promise me, Death is grown only slumber.

That shows that Christ is G.o.d's own Son, And our saviour so, Whom thou, O Lord, to me hast shown, Making me know Him the Life eternal, And health in pain and dying.

In the fore-front thou hast him placed, In him delighted; The whole world to his kingdom blest Hast invited Through thy precious wholesome word In every place resounding.

He is the health and happy light Of the heathen, To ope their eyes, and give them sight Thee to see then.

He to thy people, Isr'el, Is glory, honour, pleasure.