What! with pipe and tabor
Fool away the light,
When He bids you labor,-
When He tells you,-" Fight!"

While I do my duty,

Struggling through the tide,
Whisper Thou of beauty

On the other side!
Tell who will the story
Of our now distress:

Oh, the future glory!

Oh, the loveliness!

ST. JOHN DAMASCENE.

FIX ME FIRMLY.

στερέωσόν με, Χριστέ.

"ON the rock of Thy commandments
Fix me firmly, lest I slide:
With the glory of Thy Presence
Cover me on every side;
Seeing none save Thee is holy,

God, forever glorified!"

FIX ME FIRMLY.

New immortal out of mortal,

New existence out of old :

This the Cross of Christ accomplished,
This the Prophets had foretold:
So that we, thus newly quickened,
Might attain the heavenly fold.

Thou who comprehendest all things,
Comprehended by the tomb,

Gav'st Thy Body to the grave-clothes
And the silence and the gloom;

Till through fast-closed doors Thou camest
Thy Disciples to illume.

Every nail-print, every buffet,

Thou didst freely undergo,

As Thy Resurrection's witness

To the Twelve Thou cam'st to show:

So that what they saw in vision,

Future years by faith might know.

ST. JOHN DAMASCENE.

51

THE DARK MYSTERY.

μέγα τὸ μυστήριον.

"CHRIST, we turn our eyes to Thee, And this mighty mystery! Habakkuk exclaimed of old,

In the Holy Spirit bold,

Thou shalt come in time appointed,

For the help of Thine anointed!'"'

Taste of myrrh He deigned to know, Who redeemed the source of woe: Now He bids all sickness cease Through the honey-comb of peace, And to this world deigns to give That sweet fruit by which we live.

Patient Lord! with loving eye
Thou invitest Thomas nigh;
Showing of that Wounded Side:

While the world is certified,

How the third day, from the grave,

Jesus Christ arose to save.