ever near

180 O

GOD, unseen yet

Thy presence may we feel ;
And thus inspired with holy fear

Before Thine Altar kneel.

Here may Thy faithful people know

The blessings of Thy love;
The streams that through the desert flow,

The manna from above.

We come, obedient to Thy word,

To feast on heavenly food ;
Our meat, the body of the Lord,

Our drink, His precious blood.
Thus would we all Thy words obey,
For
we,

O God, are Thine,
And go rejoicing on our way,

Renewed with strength divine.

181
AND now, O Father, mindful of the love

That bought us once for all on Calvary's Tree, And having with us Him that pleads above,

We here present, we here spread forth to Thee That only Offering perfect in Thine eyes, The one true, pure, immortal Sacrifice. Look, Father, look on His anointed face,

And only look on us as found in Him ;
Look not on our misusings of Thy grace,

Our prayer so languid, and our faith so dim :
For lo ! between our sins and their reward
We set the Passion of Thy Son our Lord.
And then for those, our dearest and our best,

By this prevailing presence we appeal ;
O fold them closer to Thy mercy's breast,

O do Thine utmost for their souls' true weal; From tainting mischief keep them white and clear, And crown Thy gifts with strength to persevere. And so we come; O draw us to Thy feet,

Most patient Saviour, Who canst love us still ; And by this food, so awful and so sweet,

Deliver us from every touch of ill :
In Thine own service make us glad and free,
And grant us never more to part with Thee.

182
I AM not worthy, holy Lord,

me;
Speak but the word, one gracious word

Can set the sinner free.

I am not worthy; cold and bare

The lodging of my soul ;
How canst Thou deign to enter there?

Lord, speak, and make me whole.
I am not worthy ; yet, my God,

I
say
Thee

nay ;
Thee, who didst give Thy flesh and blood

My ransom-price to pay?

How can

O come ! in this sweet morning hour

Feed me with food divine
And fill with all Thy love and power

This worthless heart of mine.

183 THEE we

adore, 0 hidden Saviour, Thee, Both flesh and spirit at Thy presence fail, Yet here Thy presence we devoutly hail. O blest memorial of our dying Lord, Who living Bread to men doth here afford ! O may our souls for ever feed on Thee, And Thou, O Christ, for ever precious be. Fountain of goodness, Jesu, Lord and God, Cleanse us unclean with Thy most cleansing blood : Increase our faith and love, that we may know The hope and peace which from Thy presence flow. O Christ, whom now beneath a veil we see, May what we thirst for soon our portion be, To gaze on Thee unveiled, and see Thy face, The vision of Thy glory and Thy grace.

184 DRAW

RAW nigh and take the Body of the Lord,

And drink the holy Blood for you outpoured. Saved by that Body and that holy Blood, With souls refreshed, we render thanks to God. Salvation's Giver, Christ, the Only Son, By His dear Cross and Blood the victory won. Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest. Victims were offered by the law of old, Which in a type this heavenly mystery told. He, Ransomer from death, and Light from shade, Now gives His holy grace His saints to aid. Approach ye then with faithful hearts sincere, And take the safeguard of salvation here. He, that His saints in this world rules and shields, To all believers life eternal yields ; With heavenly bread makes them that hunger

whole, Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.