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Title: The Lord's Supper
Author: George MacDonald [
More Titles by MacDonald]
I.
A SONG OF ST. JOHN HUSS, IMPROVED BY DR. MARTIN LUTHER.
Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born,
Who from us did God's anger turn
Through his sufferings sore and main
Help he us all out of hell-pain!
That we never should forget it,
Gave he us his flesh, to eat it,
Hid in poor bread, gift divine,
And, to drink, his blood in the wine.
Who will draw near to that table,
Must take heed, all he is able!
Who unworthy thither goes,
Thence death instead of life he sows.
God the Father praise thou duly,
That he thee would feed so truly,
And for ill deeds by thee done
Up unto death has given his son.
Have this faith, and do not waver,
'Tis a food for every craver
Who, his heart with sin opprest,
Can no more for its anguish rest.
Such kindness and such grace to get
Seeks a heart with labour great.
Is it well with thee? take care
Lest at last thou shouldst evil fare.
He doth say, Come hither, O ye
Poor, that I may pity show ye:
From the leech the sound will start,
And make a mockery of his art.
Hadst thou any skill to offer
Why for thee should I then suffer?
Table this is not for thee
If saviour thou thine own canst be.
If such faith thy heart possesses
And the same thy mouth confesses,
Fit guest then thou art indeed
And so this food thy soul will feed.
But bear fruit, or lose thy labour:
Take thou heed thou love thy neighbour,
That thou food to him mayst be
As thy God makes himself to thee.
II.
A SONG OF PRAISE.
Let God be blest, be praised, and be thanked,
Who to us himself hath granted
This his own flesh and blood to feed and save us!
May we take right what he gave us:
Lord, be merciful to us.
By thy holy body dead in shame,
Lord, which from thy mother, Mary, came,
And by thy holy blood
Ease us, Lord, from all our load:
Lord, be merciful to us.
The holy body is for us laid lowly
Down in death, that we live holy;
No greater goodness he to us could render
Than make us mind his love tender.
Lord, be merciful to us.
Lord, thy love so great was, it hath driven
Thee to death, and us great gifts hath given
Our old debt it has paid,
And God has gracious made:
Lord, be merciful to us.
God on us all his blessing free bestow now
That we in his ways may go now,
Right-hearted love and brother-truth ensuing,
Never the Lord's supper ruing!
Lord, be merciful to us.
Let thy good Ghost us not forsake,
Let him make us the just way take
That thy poor Christendom
Into peace and union come!
Lord, be merciful to us.
[The end]
George MacDonald's poem: The Lord's Supper
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