John Brownlie - Hymns from the Greek Office Books

O destitute of all defence,
We bow before Thee now;
In mercy let Thy mercy come,
For merciful art Thou.

Our trusting souls in quiet repose
Would rest Thy love within; —
O be not angry with us, Lord,
Nor think upon our sin.

But from Thy high abode look down,
With tender love the while,
And save us from our foes who would
Our wayward hearts beguile.

For, verily Thou art our God,
And we Thy people all; —
Hear us, the creatures of Thy hand,
When on Thy name we call.

To God the Father, God the Son,
All praise and glory be;
And to the Spirit, Three in One,
To all eternity.

Within Thy courts my praise shall rise,
O Saviour of the world, to Thee;
And while I bow, will lift mine eyes,
Unconquered Might, Thy face to see;
At eve, at morn, at noon, alway,
All blessing Lord, to Thee I’ll pay.

Here in Thy courts, O Lord, we bow,
And soul and body worship give;
Hear us, Thy faithful servants now,
Eternal God in Whom we live;
And Thou the Unbeginning Son,
And Holy Spirit Three in One.

Why do we fade?
Who Thine own image bear,
Who life immortal share, —
Why do we fade?

Why did we err?
And leave the food of life,
To eat the bread of strife, —
Why did we err?

Why thus deceived?
And robbed of life divine,
That precious gift of Thine?
Why thus deceived?

All human things decay,
For all is vanity,
The silver and the gold;
The glory of the great,
The wealth of high estate,
None can for ever hold.

Death with his icy hand,
Severs each earthly band,
And bears us all away;
Vain are our earthly dreams,
Shadows our substance seems,
And nothing lasts for aye.

Immortal Christ, we cry,
O let our prayers come nigh
Thy throne of heavenly grace;
Rest him whose form we miss,
Grant him in endless bliss
A lasting dwelling place.

Thou, Lord, hast power to heal,
And Thou wilt quickly aid,
For Thou dost deeply feel
The stripes upon us laid: —
Thou Who wast wounded by the rod
Uplifted in the hand of God.

Send speedy help, we pray,
To him who ailing lies,
That from his couch he may
With thankful heart arise;
Through Her, whose prayers availing find
Thine ear, O Lover of mankind.

Oh, blinded are our eyes,
And all are held in night;
But like the blind who cries,
We cry to Thee for light;
In penitence, O Christ, we pray,
Give us the radiant light of day.

The radiance of the brightness
Of beauty shed by Thee,
Descend on us who hymn Thy name,
Sole ruling Trinity.

Victorious nature hymns Thee,
Thou orb of triple ray;
For Thou hast hallowed it through grace
And borne its sin away.

In faith we laud the Father,
The Spirit and the Son,
One Nature, One Divinity,
One God, yet Three in One.

To Thee our God be glory,
O Holy Trinity,
Both now, and while the ages run
To all eternity.

Thy mighty word commanding,
The heavens were settled high,
And earth to Thee responding
Was spread beneath the sky.