_R._ O Lord, make hast to help me!

_V._ Glory be to, &c.

_R._ As it was in the, &c. 200

THE HYMN.

But there were rocks would not relent at this: Lo, for their own hearts, they rend His; Their deadly hate liues still, and hath A wild reserve of wanton wrath; Superfluous spear! But there's a heart stands by 205 Will look no wounds be lost, no deaths shall dy.

Gather now thy Greif's ripe fruit, great mother-maid!

Then sitt thee down, and sing thine eu'nsong in the sad tree's shade.

_The Antiphona._

O sad, sweet tree!

Wofull and ioyfull we 210 Both weep and sing in shade of thee.

When the dear nailes did lock And graft into thy gracious stock The hope, the health, The worth, the wealth 215 Of all the ransom'd World, thou hadst the power (In that propitious hour) To poise each pretious limb, And proue how light the World was, when it weighd with Him.

Wide maist thou spred 220 Thine armes, and with thy bright and blissfull head O'relook all Liba.n.u.s. Thy lofty crown The King Himself is, thou His humble throne, Where yeilding and yet conquering He Prou'd a new path of patient victory: 225 When wondring Death by death was slain, And our Captiuity His captiue ta'ne.

_The Versicle._

Lo, we adore Thee, Dread LAMB! and bow thus low before Thee.

_The Responsor._

'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse 230 Thou hast sau'd the World from certain losse.

_The Prayer._

O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing, &c.

COMPLINE.

_The Versicle._

Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign!

_The Responsor._

Defend vs from our foes and Thine.

_V._ Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord! 235 _R._ And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.

_V._ O G.o.d, make speed to save me!

_R._ O Lord, make hast to help me!

_V._ Glory be to, &c.

_R._ As it was in the, &c. 240

THE HYMN.

The Complin hour comes last, to call Vs to our own lives' funerall.

Ah hartlesse task! yet Hope takes head, And liues in Him that here lyes dead.

Run, Mary, run! Bring hither all the blest 245 Arabia, for thy royall phoenix' nest; Pour on thy n.o.blest sweets, which, when they touch This sweeter body, shall indeed be such.

But must Thy bed, Lord, be a borrow'd graue Who lend'st to all things all the life they haue. 250 O rather vse this heart, thus farr a fitter stone, 'Cause, though a hard and cold one, yet it is Thine own. Amen.

_The Antiphona._

O saue vs then, Mercyfull King of men!

Since Thou wouldst needs be thus 255 A Saviour, and at such a rate, for vs; Saue vs, O saue vs, Lord.

We now will own no shorter wish, nor name a narrower word; Thy blood bids vs be bold, Thy wounds giue vs fair hold, 260 Thy sorrows chide our shame: Thy crosse, Thy nature, and Thy name Aduance our claim, And cry with one accord Saue them, O saue them, Lord! 265

THE RECOMMENDATION.[27]

These Houres, and that which houers o're my end, Into Thy hands and hart, Lord, I commend.

Take both to Thine account, that I and mine In that hour, and in these, may be all Thine.

That as I dedicate my deuoutest breath 270 To make a kind of life for my Lord's death,

So from His liuing and life-giuing death, My dying life may draw a new and neuer fleeting breath.

NOTES AND ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.

In the original edition of this composition, as _supra_ (1648), it is ent.i.tled simply 'Vpon our B[lessed] Saviour's Pa.s.sion.' What in our text (1652) const.i.tute the Hymns, were originally numbered as seven stanzas.

A few various readings from 1648 will be found below. Our text is given in full in 1670 edition, but not very accurately.

_Various readings of the Hymns in 1648 'Steps.'_

I. Line 1. 'The wakefull dawning hast's to sing.'

" 2. The allusion is to the pet.i.tion in the old Litanies, 'By all Thine _unknown_ sorrows, good Lord, deliver us.'

" 8. 'betray'd' for 'beseigd:' the former perhaps superior.

II. " 1. 'The early Morne.'

" 2. 'It' for 'she.'

III. " 5. 'ther's' for 'there is.'

IV. " 6. 'The fruit' instead of 'for'--a misprint.