THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
For God's mercy and goodness.
By works effecting still the general good
In every age and land!
Thou, bounteous Lord, art readier to bestow Than we to ask those gifts which daily flow From thy paternal hand!
Thy mercy far our best deserts transcends ; Yea, far beyond man's daring wish extends,
Thy love to his fall'n race!
Ev'n so, good Lord, be gracious evermore! And as thy servants need, vouchsafe to pour
The abundance of thy grace.
Forgive the things or done or thought or said, Remembering which, our conscience is afraid,
And give us Lord those blessings vast and rare,
Which we to ask all too unworthy are,
Except through Christ alone.
SAINT BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE.
For a disposition to believe and propagate the Gospel.
ALMIGHTY GOD, all power we own
Resides for aye in thee alone;
From naught but thee the stream proceeds,
Of stainless thoughts and holy deeds,..
Which bless the lives and hearts of those
In whom thy Spirit's fountain flows.
'Twas that same Spirit did renew
The heart of plain Bartholomew,
Made his great soul from guile most free,
And meek as that of infancy.
Though much beset with this world's lure,
His hands, his aims, his thoughts were pure,
By wisdom's search and art refin'd,
He carried still a humble mind,-
A mind athirst for truth divine,
Which felt that gift, O Lord, was thine.
When small was this his better store,
He lived by that, and sought for more;
Explored the Scripture's living page,
So gained in youth the lore of age,
Such lore as cleansed his life from vice,
And his calm soul from prejudice.
Ah, then to him how blest the day
When his expectant ears heard say,
"Lo! he, of whom old prophets tell,
Visits at length his Israel !"
To Jesus' presence swift he came,
Albeit he much misgave the name,
And much he mused how Galilee,
Messiah's cradle e'er could be.
But Jesus' words were words of might,
And self-revealing as the light,
Scattered at once his mental gloom,
As to his heart those words did come.
Thus anxious souls, to doubts a prey,
Doubt on, whilst still from Christ they stay;
Yet let them once but come and see,
Away those worst of horrors flee,
Such sons of darkness dare not press,
Where shines the sun of righteousness.
He who erewhile had groped for day,
Goes now rejoicing on his way,
Himself at rest, he longs to be
A light to those who groped as he,
And eager burns his grateful soul
To scatter truth from pole to pole.
Grant, Lord to us, once all as blind,
An equal zeal, a kindred mind!
A lively faith, whose works may tell,
We love the truth, he loved so well;
An ardour pure from heaven caught,
To preach the blessed things he taught;
A saint-like life, which best
Our hearts receive the truths we know;
So, Lord, in this our passing state,
Thy first church may we imitate,
And let us shine, as erst they shin'd,
A beacon-light to human kind!
THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
For grace to serve God faithfully.
FATHER of all our mercies! thou from whom,
As from an everlasting fountain, come
Fresh streams of goodness, gushing forth to cheer
Each Christian pilgrim on his journey here;
Still strengthening us, all feeble as we be,
Onward to fare acceptably to thee!
O send, good Lord, from out thy dwelling,
More and more aid,
Let each bad temper once rebelling
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