VII.

REDEMPTION.

ING, my tongue, the glorious battle,
With completed victory rife,
And above the Crofs's trophy
Tell the triumph of the ftrife;
How the world's Redeemer con-
quered,

By furrendering of His life.

God, His Maker, forely grieving
That the firft-born Adam fell,
When he ate the noxious apple
Whofe reward was death and hell,
Noted then this wood, the ruin
Of the ancient wood to quell.

For the work of our Salvation
Needs would have His order fo,
And the multiform deceiver's

Art by art would overthrow;

And from thence would bring the medicine
Whence the venom of the foe.

Wherefore, when the facred fulness

Of the appointed time was come,
This world's Maker left his Father,
Left His bright and heavenly home,

And proceeded, God Incarnate,
From the Virgin's holy womb.

Weeps the infant in the manger

That in Bethlehem's ftable stands s; And His limbs the Virgin Mother

Doth compose in swaddling bands, Meetly thus in linen folding

Of her God the feet and hands.

Thirty years among us dwelling,
His appointed time fulfilled;
Given for this, He meets His Paffion,
For that this He freely willed;

On the Cross the Lamb is lifted,

On whofe Death our hope we build.

He endured the shame and spitting,
Vinegar, and nails, and reed;
As His bleffed fide is opened,

Water thence and blood proceed.
Earth, and sky, and ftars, and ocean,
By that flood are cleansed indeed.

Faithful Crofs! above all other

One and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in bloffom,

None in fruit compares with Thee:

Sweeteft wood, and sweetest iron,

Sweetest weight fuftaining free.

Bend thy boughs, O Tree of glory!
Thy relaxing finews bend;

For awhile the ancient rigour

That thy boughs, O Tree of Glory!
And the King of Heavenly Beauty
On thy bofom gently tend.

Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world's ransom to uphold;
For a fhipwrecked world preparing
Harbour, like the Ark of old;
With the Sacred Blood anointed

From the wounded Lamb that rolled.

Laud and honour to the Father,

Laud and honour to the Son,
Laud and honour to the Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One :
Confubftantial, Coeternal,

While unending ages run.

VENANTIUS

6th Cent.

* The above, which may be placed in the very first class of Latin hymns, beginning "Pange, lingua, gloriofi," was composed by Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers, during the time of Auguftine's miffion to this country.

VIII.

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

OME, Holy Ghoft, our fouls infpire,
And lighten with celeftial fire.

Thou the anointing Spirit art,

Who doft Thy feven-fold gifts

impart.

Thy bleffed Unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dulnefs of our blinded fight.

Anoint and cheer our foiled face
With the abundance of Thy grace;
Keep far our foes, give peace at home,
Where Thou art guide no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And Thee, of both, to be but One;
That through the ages all along

may be our endless fong:

This

Praise to Thy eternal merit,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.*

GREGORY, 6th Cent.

This beautiful hymn, fo well known from its being introduced in the Ordination Service of the Church of England, has been frequently attributed to Charlemagne in the 8th century, but Mone, in his "Collection of Latin Hymns of the Middle Ages," more correctly adjudges the authorship to Gregory, commonly called "The Great."

Coming new from highest heaven,
Ready for the nuptial bed,
Decked with jewels, to His prefence
By her Lord fhall fhe be led :
All her streets and all her bulwarks
Of pure gold are fashioned.

Bright with pearls her portal glitters;

It is open evermore:

And by virtue of their merits

There each faithful foul may foar

Who, for Chrift's dear Name, in this world
Pain and tribulation bore.

Many a blow and biting fculpture
Polished well these ftones elect,

In their places now compacted

By the mighty Architect;

Who therewith hath willed for ever
That His palace should be decked.