Martin Madan (?), 1760.

290 Cambridge.  C.M.

The Incarnation. (206)

Awake, awake, the sacred song,
  To our incarnate Lord;
Let every heart and every tongue
  Adore th’ eternal Word.

2 That awful Word, that sovereign Power,
  By whom the worlds were made;
Oh, happy morn—­illustrious hour—­
  Was once in flesh arrayed.

3 To dwell with misery here below,
  The Savior left the skies,
And sunk to wretchedness and woe,
  That worthless man might rise.

4 Adoring angels tuned their songs,
  To hail the joyful day;
With rapture, then, let human tongues
  Their grateful worship pay.

     Anne Steele, 1760

291 St. Agnes.  C.M.

Jesus Our Joy. (548)

Jesus, the very tho’t of thee
  With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see,
  And in thy presence rest.

2 Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
  Nor can the mem’ry find
A sweeter sound than thy blest name,
  O Savior of mankind!

3 Oh, hope of ev’ry contrite heart! 
  Oh, joy of all the meek! 
To those who fall, how kind thou art! 
  How good to those who seek.

4 And those who find thee, find a bliss
  Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is
  None but his loved ones know.

5 Jesus! our only joy be thou,
  As thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus! be thou our glory now,
  And through eternity.

     Bernard of Clairvaux, 1140.  Tr.  F. Caswall, 1848.

292 St. Agnes.  C.M.

All-Absorbing Love. (551)

O Jesus, Jesus, dearest Lord! 
  Forgive me, if I say,
For very love, thy sacred name
  A thousand times a day.

2 I love thee so, I know not how
  My transports to control;
Thy love is like a burning fire
  Within my very soul.

3 Oh, wonderful! that thou should’st let
  So vile a heart as mine
Love thee with such a love as this,
  And make so free with thine!

4 O Light in darkness, Joy in grief! 
  O Heaven begun on earth! 
Jesus my Love, my Treasure! who
  Can tell what thou art worth?

5 O Jesus, Jesus, sweetest Lord! 
  What art thou not to me? 
Each hour brings joys before unknown,
  Each day new liberty.

     Frederick Wm. Faber, 1848.

293 St. Agnes.  C.M.

Supreme Love to Christ. (545)

Do not I love thee, oh, my Lord? 
  Behold my heart, and see;
And turn each worthless idol out,
  That dares to rival thee.

2 Do not I love thee, from my soul? 
  Then let me nothing love;
Dead be my heart to every joy,
  Which thou dost not approve.

3 Is not thy name melodious still,
  To mine attentive ear? 
Doth not each pulse with pleasure thrill
  My Savior’s voice to hear?