Volume 1 — THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSSE.[25]
Reading edition
THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSSE.[25]
Tradidit semetipsum pro nobis oblationem et hostiam Deo in odorem suauitatis. Ad Ephe. v. 2.
THE HOWRES.
For the Hovr of Matines.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sailing sign!
The Responsory.
Defend us from our foes and Thine. V. Thou shalt open my lippes, O Lord. R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy prayse. V. O God, make speed to saue me.5 R. O Lord, make hast to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the H[oly] Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and euer10 shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Hymn.
The wakefull Matines hast to sing The unknown sorrows of our King: The Father's Word and Wisdom, made Man for man, by man's betraid;15 The World's price sett to sale, and by the bold Merchants of Death and Sin, is bought and sold: Of His best freinds (yea of Himself) forsaken; By His worst foes (because He would) beseig'd and taken.
The Antiphona.
All hail, fair tree,20 Whose fruit we be! What song shall raise Thy seemly praise, Who broughtst to light Life out of death, Day out of Night!25
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee, Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee:
The Responsor.
'Cause, by the couenant of Thy crosse, Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God!30 interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death, Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy35 Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners, life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
For the Hour of Prime.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sailing sign!40
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine. V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord. R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, make speed to save me. R. O Lord, make hast to help me.45 V. Glory be to, &c. R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
The early Prime blushes to say She could not rise so soon, as they Call'd Pilat vp; to try if he50 Could lend them any cruelty. Their hands with lashes arm'd, their toungs with lyes And loathsom spittle, blott those beauteous eyes, The blissfull springs of ioy; from whose all-chearing ray The fair starrs fill their wakefull fires, the sun himself drinks day. 55
The Antiphona.
Victorious sign That now dost shine, Transcrib'd aboue Into the land of light and loue; O let vs twine60 Our rootes with thine, That we may rise Vpon thy wings, and reach the skyes.
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee, Dread Lamb! and fall65 Thus low before Thee.
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God! interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,70 Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners,75 life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Third.
The Versicle.
Lord, by Thy sweet and sauing sign,
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes and Thine.80 V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord. R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, make speed to save me. R. O Lord, make hast to help me. V. Glory be to, &c.85 R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
The third hour's deafen'd with the cry Of crucify Him, crucify. So goes the vote (nor ask them, why?), Liue Barabbas! and let God dy.90 But there is witt in wrath, and they will try A hail more cruell then their crucify. For while in sport He weares a spitefull crown The serious showres along His decent Face run sadly down.
The Antiphona.
Christ when He dy'd95 Deceiu'd the Crosse; And on Death's side Threw all the losse. The captiue World awak't and found The prisoners loose, the iaylor bound.100
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee, Dread Lamb, and fall Thus low before Thee.
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.105
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God! interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death, Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy;110 vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners, life and glory everlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.115
The Sixt.
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. R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, make speed to save me!120 R. O Lord, make hast to help me! V. Glory be to, &c. R. As it was in the, &c.
The Hymn.
Now is the noon of Sorrow's night: High in His patience, as their spite,125 Lo, the faint Lamb, with weary limb Beares that huge tree which must bear Him! That fatall plant, so great of fame For fruit of sorrow and of shame, Shall swell with both, for Him, and mix130 All woes into one crucifix. Is tortur'd thirst itselfe too sweet a cup? Gall, and more bitter mocks, shall make it vp. Are nailes, blunt pens of superficiall smart? Contempt and scorn can send sure wounds to search the inmost heart.135
The Antiphona.
O deare and sweet dispute 'Twixt Death's and Loue's farr different fruit! Different as farr As antidotes and poysons are. By that first fatall tree140 Both life and liberty Were sold and slain; By this they both look vp, and liue again.
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee, Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee.145
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse, Thou hast sau'd the World from certain losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God! interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death, Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy150 iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners, life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest155 with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Ninth.
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.160 R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, 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.165
The Hymn.
The ninth with awfull horror hearkened to those groanes Which taught attention eu'n to rocks and stones. Hear, Father, hear! Thy Lamb (at last) complaines Of some more painfull thing then all His paines. Then bowes His all-obedient head, and dyes170 His own lou's and our sins' GREAT SACRIFICE. The sun saw that, and would haue seen no more; The center shook: her vselesse veil th' inglorious Temple tore.
The Antiphona.
O strange, mysterious strife Of open Death and hidden Life!175 When on the crosse my King did bleed, Life seem'd to dy, Death dy'd indeed.[26]
The Versicle.
Lo, we adore Thee, Dread Lamb! and fall Thus low before Thee.180
The Responsor.
'Cause by the couenant of Thy crosse Thou hast sau'd at once the whole World's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord Iesv-Christ, Son of the liuing God! interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own pretious death,
Thy crosse and passion, betwixt my soul and Thy185 iudgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me Thy grace and mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission and rest; to Thy Church, peace and concord; to vs sinners, life and glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest190 with the Father, in the vnity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
Evensong.
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!195 R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, 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.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 by205 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 we210 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 wealth215 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 spred220 Thine armes, and with thy bright and blissfull head O'relook all Libanus. 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 crosse230 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 God, 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 blest245 Arabia, for thy royall phœnix' nest; Pour on thy noblest 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 thus255 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 breath270 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 ILLUSTRATIONS.
In the original edition of this composition, as supra (1648), it is entitled simply 'Vpon our B[lessed] Saviour's Passion.' What in our text (1652) constitute 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 petition 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. V. " 6. 'our great sins' sacrifice.' VII. " 1. 'The Nightening houre'—a curious coinage.
In the 'Prayer,' 'unto all quick and dead' is dropped, and reads 'the,' not 'Thy,' Church. In line 55 Turnbull reads 'weakful,' and, line 243, 'heed' for 'head,'—two of a number of provoking blunders in his text. G.