Come then, Thou Prophet of the Lord,
Thou great Interpreter divine,
Explain Thine own transmitted Word:
To teach, and to inspire is Thine;
Thou only canst Thyself reveal:
Open the Book, and loose the seal. Whate’er the ancient prophets spoke
Concerning Thee, O Christ, make known,
Sole subject of the sacred Book,
Thou fillest all, and Thou alone;
Yet there our Lord we cannot see,
Unless Thy Spirit lends the key. Now, Jesu, now the veil remove,
The folly of our darkened heart;
Unfold the wonders of Thy love,
The knowledge of Thyself impart;
Our ear, our inmost soul we bow;
Speak, Lord, Thy servants hearken now. Make not as Thou wouldst farther go,
Our Friend, and Counselor, and Guide,
But stay, the path of life to show,
Still with our souls vouchsafe t’abide,
Constrained by Thy own mercy stay,
Nor leave us at the close of day. Come in, with Thy disciples sit,
Nor suffer us to ask in vain,
Nourish us, Lord, with living meat,
Our souls with heavenly bread sustain;
Break to us now the mystic bread,
And bid us on Thy body feed. Honor the means ordained by Thee,
The great unbloody sacrifice,
The deep tremendous mystery;
Thyself in our enlightened eyes
Now in the broken bread made known
And show us Thou art all our own. |
