As Thou hast touched our ears, and taught
   Our tongues to speak Thy praises plain,
Quell Thou each thankless godless thought
   That would make fast our bonds again. 
From worldly strife, from mirth unblest,
Drowning Thy music in the breast,
From foul reproach, from thrilling fears,
Preserve, good Lord, Thy servants’ ears.

From idle words, that restless throng
   And haunt our hearts when we would pray,
From Pride’s false chime, and jarring wrong,
   Seal Thou my lips, and guard the way: 
For Thou hast sworn, that every ear,
Willing or loth, Thy trump shall hear,
And every tongue unchained be
To own no hope, no God, but Thee.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

And He turned Him onto His disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:  for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them:  and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  St. Luke x. 23, 24.

On Sinai’s top, in prayer and trance,
   Full forty nights and forty days
The Prophet watched for one dear glance
   Of thee and of Thy ways: 

Fasting he watched and all alone,
   Wrapt in a still, dark, solid cloud,
The curtain of the Holy One
   Drawn round him like a shroud: 

So, separate from the world, his breast
   Might duly take and strongly keep
The print of Heaven, to be expressed
   Ere long on Sion’s steep.

There one by one his spirit saw
   Of things divine the shadows bright,
The pageant of God’s perfect law;
   Yet felt not full delight.

Through gold and gems, a dazzling maze,
   From veil to veil the vision led,
And ended, where unearthly rays
   From o’er the ark were shed.

Yet not that gorgeous place, nor aught
   Of human or angelic frame,
Could half appease his craving thought;
   The void was still the same.

“Show me Thy glory, gracious Lord! 
   ’Tis Thee,” he cries, “not Thine, I seek.” 
Na, start not at so bold a word
   From man, frail worm and weak: 

The spark of his first deathless fire
   Yet buoys him up, and high above
The holiest creature, dares aspire
   To the Creator’s love.

The eye in smiles may wander round,
   Caught by earth’s shadows as they fleet;
But for the soul no help is found,
   Save Him who made it, meet.

Spite of yourselves, ye witness this,
   Who blindly self or sense adore;
Else wherefore leaving your own bliss
   Still restless ask ye more?

This witness bore the saints of old
   When highest rapt and favoured most,
Still seeking precious things untold,
   Not in fruition lost.

Canaan was theirs; and in it all
   The proudest hope of kings dare claim: 
Sion was theirs; and at their call
   Fire from Jehovah came.