Light of the Gentile nations, Thy people’s Joy and Love! Drawn by Thy Spirit hither, We gladly come to prove Thy presence in Thy temple And seek with earnest mind, As Simeon once had waited His Savior God to find. 2. Yea, Lord, Thy servants meet Thee, E’en now, in every place Where Thy true Word hath promised That they should see Thy face. Thou yet wilt gladly grant us, Who gather round Thee here, In faith’s strong arms to bear Thee, As did that aged seer. 3. Be Thou our Joy, our Brightness, That shines mid pain and loss, Our Sun in times of terror, The Glory round our cross; A Glow in sinking spirits, A Sunbeam in distress, Physician, Friend, in sickness; In death, our Happiness. 4. Let us, O Lord, be faithful Like Simeon to the end, So that his dying anthem May from our hearts ascend: “O Lord, now let Thy servant Depart in peace, I pray, Since I have seen my Savior, Have here beheld His day.” 5. My Savior, I behold Thee Now with the eye of faith; No foe of Thee can rob me, Though bitter words he saith. Within Thy heart abiding, As Thou dost dwell in me, No pain, no death, has terrors To part my soul from Thee. 6. Lord, here on earth Thou seemest At times to frown on me, And through my tears I often Can scarce distinguish Thee; But in the heavenly mansions Shall nothing dim my sight, And I shall see forever Thine always glorious light. J. Franck, 1674; C. Winkworth, tr., a. PASSION OF CHRIST. GENERAL. 191 8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7 A lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of all men bearing; ’Tis laden with the sin of earth, None else the burden sharing; It goes its way, grows weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint, Its spotless life to offer; Bears shame, and stripes, and wounds, and death, Anguish and mockery, and saith, “Willing all this I suffer.” 2. This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great Friend And everlasting Savior; Him, Him God chose sin’s reign to end And bring us to His favor. “Go forth, My Son!” He said, “and bail The children who are doomed to hell But for Thine intercession. The punishment is great, and dread The wrath, but Thou Thy blood shalt shed And save them from perdition.” 3. “Yea, Father, yea, most willingly I’ll bear what Thou commandest; My will conforms to Thy decree, I do what Thou demandest.” O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done! The Father offers up His Son, The Son, content, descendeth! O Love, O Love, how strong art Thou! In shroud and grave Thou lay’st Him low Whose word the mountains rendeth.