Fifteen Hymns For the Feast of the Epiphany 10Hymn X.

Hymn X. (Resp.--Glory to Him Who came and restored it!)

1. Adam sinned and earned all sorrows;--likewise the world after His example, all guilt.--And instead of considering how it should be restored,--considered how its fall should be pleasant for it.--Glory to Him Who came and restored it!

2. This cause summoned Him that is pure,--that He should come and be baptized, even He with the defiled,--Heaven for His glory was rent asunder.--That the purifier of all might be baptized with all,--He came down and sanctified the water for our baptism.

3. For that cause for which He entered into the womb,--for the same cause He went down into the river.--For that cause for which He entered into the grave,--for the same cause He makes us enter into His chamber.--He perfected mankind for every cause.

4. His Conception is the store of our blessings;--His Birth is the treasury of our joys;--His Baptism is the cause of our pardon;--His Death is the cause of our life.--Death He alone has overcome in His Resurrection.

5. At His Birth a star of light shone in the air;--when He was baptized light flashed from the water;--at His Death the sun was darkened in the firmament;--at His Passion the luminaries set along with Him;--at His Epiphany the luminaries arose with Him.

6. Revealed was His Glory because of His Majesty;--revealed was His Passion because of His Manhood;--revealed was His Love because of His Graciousness;--revealed was His Judgment because of His Justice.--He has poured forth His attributes, on them that were His.

7. That whoso has looked on His Glory and despised Him,--may look again on His Glory and worship Him;--and whoso has scorned to taste of His Graciousness,--may fear lest he be made to feel His justice;--He has poured forth His helps on His worshippers.

8. Lo! the East in the morning was made light!--lo! the South at noonday was made dark!--The West again in turn at eventide was made light.--The three quarters represent the one Birth;--His Death and His Life they declare.

9. His Birth flowed on and was joined to His Baptism;--and His Baptism again flowed on even to His Death;--His Death led and reached to His Resurrection,--a fourfold bridge unto His Kingdom; and lo! His sheep pass over in His footsteps.

10. And like as, save by the door of birth,--none can enter into creation;--so, save by the door of resurrection,--none can enter into the Kingdom,--and whoso has cut off his bridge, has brought to nought his hope.

11. He put on His armour and conquered and was crowned;--He left His armour on earth and ascended,--that if any man desires the crown,--he may resort to the armour and win by it--the crown of victory which he yearns after.

12. He fulfilled righteousness on earth, and ascended.--But if He, the All-cleanser, was baptized,--What man is there that shall not be baptized?--for grace has come to baptism--to wash away the foulness of our wound.

13. The compulsion of God is an all-prevailing force;--[but that is not pleasing to Him which is of compulsion,]--as that which is of discerning will.--Therefore in our fruits He calls us--who live not as under compulsion, by persuasion.

14. Good is He, for lo! He labours in these two things;--He wills not to constrain our freedom--nor again does He suffer us to abuse it.--For had he constrained it, He had taken away its power;--and had He let it go, He had deprived it of help.

15. He knows that if He constrains He deprives us;--He knows that if He casts off He destroys us;--He knows that if He teaches He wins us.--He has not constrained and He has not cast off, as the Evil One does:--He has taught, chastened, and won us, as being the good God.

16. He knows that His treasuries abound:--the keys of His treasuries He has put into our hands.--He has made the Cross our treasurer--to open for us the gates of Paradise,--as Adam opened the gate of Gehenna.