Hymns of the Early Church. John Brownlie

October 12, 1895.

      Sundays and Week Days

       SUNDAY MORNING

      DIE, DIERUM PRINCIPE

      By Charles Coffin, born at Ardennes in 1676; Rector of the University of Paris, 1718; died, 1749. The most of his hymns appeared in the Paris Breviary of 1736. In that service-book this is the hymn for Sunday at Matins.

I

      O day, the chief of days, whose light

      Sprang from the dark embrace of night,

      On which our Lord from death’s grim thrall

      Arose, True Light, to lighten all.

II

      Death trembling heard the mighty Lord,

      And darkness quick obeyed His word; —

      O shame on us! our tardy will

      Is slow His summons to fulfil.

III

      While Nature yet unconscious lies,

      Come, let us, sons of light, arise,

      And cheerful raise our matin lay

      To chase the dark of night away.

IV

      While all the world around is still,

      Come, and with songs the temple fill,

      Taught by the saints of bygone days,

      Whose words were song, whose songs were praise.

V

      Loud trump of Heaven, our languor shake,

      And bid our slumbering spirits wake;

      Teach us the nobler life, and give,

      O Christ, the needed grace to live.

VI

      O Font of love! Our steps attend;

      Those needed gifts in mercy send;

      And where Thy word is heard this day,

      Give Thou the Spirit’s power, we pray.

VII

      To Father and to Son be praise,

      To Thee, O Holy Ghost, always,

      Whose presence still the heart inspires

      With sacred light and glowing fires.

      O NATA LUX DE LUMINE

      The oldest text known of this hymn is from a tenth-century MS. It is in the Sarum Breviary (1495), also in that of Aberdeen (1509), which is substantially that of Sarum, and one of the very few surviving service-books of the Pre-Reformation period in Scotland.

I

      O Light that from the light wast born,

      Redeemer of the world forlorn,

      In mercy now Thy suppliants spare,

      Our praise accept, and hear our prayer.

II

      Thou who didst wear our flesh below,

      To save our souls from endless woe,

      Of Thy blest Body, Lord, would we

      Efficient members ever be.

III

      More bright than sun Thine aspect gleamed,

      As snowdrift white Thy garments seemed,

      When on the mount Thy glory shone,

      To faithful witnesses alone.

IV

      There did the seers of old confer

      With those who Thy disciples were;

      And Thou on both didst shed abroad

      The glory of the eternal God.

V

      From heaven the Father’s voice was heard

      That Thee the eternal Son declared;

      And faithful hearts now love to own

      Thy glory, King of heaven, alone.

VI

      Grant us, we pray, to walk in light,

      Clad in Thy virtues sparkling bright,

      That, upward borne by deeds of love,

      Our souls may win the bliss above.

VII

      Loud praise to Thee our homage brings,

      Eternal God, Thou King of kings,

      Who reignest one, Thou one in three,

      From age to age eternally.

      TU TRINITATIS UNITAS

      Attributed by some, but with a small degree of probability, to Gregory the Great. The hymn occurs in all the editions of the Roman Breviary, as also in the Sarum, York, and Aberdeen Breviaries.

I

      O Thou Eternal One in Three,

      Dread Ruler of the earth and sky,

      Accept the praise we yield to Thee,

      Who, waking, lift our songs on high.

II

      Now from the couch of rest we rise,

      While solemn night in silence reigns,

      And lift to Thee our earnest cries,

      To give Thy balm to heal our pains.

III

      If in the night by Satan’s guile

      Our souls were lured by thought of sin;

      O bid Thy light celestial smile,

      And chase away the night within.

IV

      Purge Thou our flesh from every stain,

      Let not dull sloth our hearts depress;

      Nor let the sense of guilt remain,

      To chill the warmth our souls possess.

V

      To Thee, Redeemer blest, we pray,

      That in our souls Thy light may shine;

      So we shall walk from day to day,

      Unerring in Thy way Divine.

VI

      Grant it, O Father, in Thy love,

      Grant it, O One-begotten Son,

      Who with the Spirit reign above,

      Now, and while endless ages run.

       SUNDAY EVENING

      DEUS CREATOR OMNIUM

      By St. Ambrose, born at Lyons, Arles, or Trêves in 340; consecrated Bishop of Milan in 374; died on Easter Eve, 397. He introduced antiphonal chanting into the Western Church, and laid the foundation of Church music, which Gregory systematised.