Chapter L: M. 6 l

Th’ abyss of many a former sin
Encloses me and bars me in;
Like billows my transgressions roll—
Be Thou the Pilot of my soul—
And to salvation’s harbor bring,
Thou Savior and Thou glorious King!

2. My Father’s heritage abused,
Wasted by lust, by sin misused,
To shame and want and misery brought,
The slave to many a fruitless thought:—
I cry to Thee, who lovest men,
O pity and receive again!

3. In hunger now, no more possest
Of that my portion bright and blest,
The exile and the alien see
Who yet would fain return to Thee.
And save me, Lord, who seeks to raise
To Thy dear love the hymn of praise!

4. With that saved thief my prayer I make,
“Remember for Thy mercy’s sake!”
With that poor publican I cry,
“Be merciful, O God most high!”
With that lost prodigal I fain
Back to my home would turn again.

5. Mourn, mourn, my soul, with earnest care
And raise to Christ the contrite prayer:—
O Thou, who freely wast made poor
My sorrows and my sins to cure,
Me, poor of all good works, embrace,
Enriching with Thy boundless grace!

Joseph of the Studium, c. 860; J. M. Neale, tr., 1862.

421

8, 7, 8, 7

Alas, my God! my sins are great,
My conscience doth upbraid me;
And now I find that in my strait
No man hath power to aid me.

2. And fled I hence in my despair
In some lone spot to hide me,
My griefs would still be with me there
And peace still be denied me.

3. Lord, Thee I seek. I merit naught,
Yet pity and restore me;
Be not Thy wrath, just God, my lot;
Thy Son hath suffered for me.

4. If pain and woe must follow sin,
Then be my path still rougher.
Here spare me not; if heaven I win,
On earth I gladly suffer.

5. But curb my heart, forgive my guilt,
Make Thou my patience firmer;
For they must miss the good Thou wilt
Who at Thy chastenings murmur.

6. Then deal with me as seems Thee best,
Thy grace will help me bear it,
If but at last I see Thy rest
And with my Savior share it.

M. Rutilius, 1604; C. Winkworth, tr., a.

422

S. M.

And wilt Thou pardon, Lord,
A sinner such as I,
Although Thy book his crimes record
Of such a crimson dye?

2. So deep are they engraved,
So terrible their fear:
The righteous scarcely shall be saved,
And where shall I appear?

3. O Thou Physician blest,
Make clean my guilty soul
And me, by many a sin opprest,
Restore and keep me whole.

4. I know not how to praise
Thy mercy and Thy love;
But deign Thy servant to upraise,
And I shall learn above.

Joseph of the Studium, c. 860; J. M. Neale, tr., 1862.

423

S. M.

Out of the deep I call
To Thee, O Lord, to Thee;
Before Thy throne of grace I fall,
Be merciful to me.

2. Out of the deep I cry,
The woeful deep of sin,
Of evil done in days gone by,
Of evil now within;

3. Out of the deep of fear
And dread of coming shame.
From morning watch till night is near
I plead the precious name.

4. Lord, there is mercy now,
As ever was, with Thee;
Before Thy throne of grace I bow;
Be merciful to me.

H. W. Baker, 1868.

ABSOLUTION.

424

L. M.

O God, Thou righteous, faithful Lord,
I have not kept Thy holy Word,
But sinned and oft offended Thee;
Now I repent, it grieveth me.

2. Thou, Father, merciful and kind,
No pleasure in my death dost find,
But strong desire doth in Thee burn
That I should unto Thee return.

3. Since Thou, dear Father, callest me,
I, poor lost sinner, come to Thee,
Relying on Christ’s precious blood
Which from His holy five wounds flowed.

4. I pray through Christ, Thine only Son,
Who for my good our flesh put on,
To me let Thy love never fail,
O’er justice let Thy grace prevail.

5. In mercy, Father, let Thy grace
Through Jesus’ blood my sins efface;
Then I, the poor lost child, will be
From all my sins forever free.

6. Grant that, according to Thy Word,
I lead a godly life, O Lord,
And let me, after time is o’er,
Inherit life forevermore.

Anon., 1650; A. Crull, tr., 1880.

425

L. M.

O faithful God, we worship Thee!
Thou pardon’st our iniquity,
Thou grantest help in sin’s distress,
And soul and body Thou dost bless.

2. Thou, through Thy servant, say’st to me:
“Thy sins are all forgiven thee,
Depart in peace; but sin no more
And e’er My pardoning grace adore.”

3. O Lord, we bless Thy gracious heart,
For Thou Thyself dost heal our smart
Through Christ our Savior’s precious blood,
Which for the sake of sinners flowed.

4. Give us Thy Spirit, peace afford
Now and forever, gracious Lord!
Thy Word and holy Sacrament
Preserve to us till life is spent.

N. Selnecker, 1587.

426

L. M.

Yea, as I live, Jehovah saith,
I do not wish the sinner’s death,
But that he turn from error’s ways,
Repent, and live through endless days.

2. Hence Christ His servants gave command:
“Go forth and preach in every land;
Forgiveness to each soul extend
That mourns, believes, and will amend.

3. “Whose sins soever ye remit,
I truly pardon and acquit;
Whose sins soever ye retain,
Condemned and guilty shall remain.

4. “What ye shall bind, that bound shall be;
What ye shall loose, that shall be free;
To all alike the keys are given
To ope and close the gates of heaven.

5. “They who believe, when ye proclaim
The joyful tidings in My name,
That I for them My blood have shed,
Are free from guilt and Judgment dread.”

6. The words which absolution give
Are His who died that we might live;
The minister whom Christ has sent
Is but His humble instrument.

7. However great our sin may be,
The absolution sets us free,
Appointed by God’s own dear Son
To bring the pardon He has won.

8. When ministers lay on their hands,
Absolved by Christ the sinner stands;
He who by grace the Word believes
The purchase of His blood receives.

9. This is the power of holy keys,
It binds and doth again release;
The Church retains them at her side,
Our mother and Christ’s holy bride.

10. Let those who stings of conscience bear,
Whom sin would drive to dark despair,
To Jesus come with trustful mind
And peace in absolution find.

11. All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
For absolution full and free,
In which Thou showest forth Thy grace;
From false indulgence guard our race.

12. Praise God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
As ’twas, is now, and so shall be,
World without end, eternally!

Nikolaus Herman, 1560; M. Loy, tr., 1880.

THE LORD’S SUPPER.

427

10s

Draw nigh and take the body of your Lord
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured.
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the Victim and Himself the Priest.

2. He that in this world rules His saints and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields,
With heavenly bread makes them that hunger whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.

3. Approach ye, then, with faithful hearts sincere
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Judge of all, our only Savior Thou,
In this Thy feast of love be with us now.

Latin, c. 680; J. M. Neale, tr., 1851, a.

428

L. M.

O Jesus, bruised and wounded more
Than bursted grape or bread of wheat,
The Life of life without our souls,
The Cup of our salvation sweet!

2. We come to show Thy dying hour,
Thy streaming vein, Thy broken flesh;
And still the blood is warm to save,
And still the fragrant wounds are fresh.

3. O Heart, that with a double tide
Of blood and water maketh pure;
O Flesh, once offered on the cross,
The gift that makes our pardon sure,—

4. Let nevermore our sinful souls
The anguish of Thy cross renew
Nor forge again the cruel nails
That pierced Thy victim body through.

5. Come, Bread of heaven, to feed our souls,
And with Thee, Jesus, enter in!
Come, Wine of God! and as we drink
His precious blood, wash out our sin.

Mrs. C. F. Alexander.

429

L. M.

My God, and is Thy table spread?
And does Thy cup with love o’erflow?
Thither be all Thy children led
And let them all its sweetness know.

2. Hail, sacred feast which Jesus makes,
Rich banquet of His flesh and blood!
Thrice happy he who here partakes
That sacred stream, that heavenly food!

3. Why are its blessings all in vain
Before unwilling hearts displayed?
Was not for us the Victim slain?
Are we forbid the children’s bread?

4. O let Thy table honored be
And furnished well with joyful guests;
And may each soul salvation see
That here its sacred pledges tastes!

Philip Doddridge, 1755, abr.

430

S. M.

Thy table I approach,
Dear Savior, hear my prayer;
Oh, let no unrepented sin
Prove hurtful to me there!

2. Lo, I confess my sins
And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is ever wont
To find grace at Thy hands.

3. Thy body and Thy blood,
Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken at Thy table here—
A wondrous mystery!

4. Here I with mouth and soul,
Incomprehensibly,
Shall eat the precious flesh of Christ
In blest reality.

5. Search not how this takes place,
Nor whether it can be;
God can accomplish vastly more
Than seemeth plain to thee.

6. Vouchsafe, O blessed Lord,
That earth and hell combined
May ne’er about this Sacrament
A doubt raise in my mind!

7. And may I never fail
To thank Thee day and night
For Thy true body and true blood,
O God, my Peace and Light!

G. W. Molanus, 1673; M. Loy, 1880, a.

431

11, 8, 11, 8, 5, 9, 9, 6, 7, 5

May God be praised henceforth and blest forever,
Who, Himself both Gift and Giver,
With His own flesh and blood our souls doth nourish;
May they grow thereby and flourish!
O Lord, have mercy!
By Thy holy body, the selfsame
Which from Thine own mother Mary came,
By the drops Thou didst bleed,
Help us in the hour of need.
O Lord, have mercy!

2. Thou hast to death Thy holy body given,
Life to win for us in heaven;
By stronger love, dear Lord, Thou couldst not bind us,
Whereof this should well remind us.
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy love constrained Thee for our good
Mighty things to do by Thy dear blood;
Thou hast paid all we owed,
Thou hast made our peace with God.
O Lord, have mercy!

3. May God bestow on us His grace and blessing,
That, His holy footsteps tracing,
We walk as brethren dear in love and union
Nor repent this sweet Communion.
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us,
Grant that heavenly-minded He make us,
That Thy poor Church may see
Days of peace and unity.
O Lord, have mercy!

1st stanza 15th cent.; Martin Luther, 1524; R. Massie, tr., a.

432