Rampolli

by George MacDonald

IX. THE COMMANDMENTS.
I.
These are the holy ten commands
Which came to us from God’s own hands
By Moses, who thus did his will
On the top of Sinai’s hill.
Kyrioleis.
I am the Lord thy God alone;
Of Gods besides thou shalt have none;
Thou shalt thyself trust all to me,
And love me right heartily.
Kyrioleis.
Thou shalt not speak like idle word
The name of God who is thy Lord;
As right or good thou shalt not praise
Except what God does and says.
Kyrioleis.
Thou shalt keep holy the seventh day,
That rest thou and thy household may;
From thine own work thou must keep free,
That God his work have in thee.
Kyrioleis.
Honour thou shall and shalt obey
Thy father and thy mother alway;
To serve them ready be thy hand
That thou live long in the land.
Kyrioleis.
In anger hot thou shalt not kill,
Nor hate, nor take revenge for ill;
Be patient and of gentle mood,
And ev’n to thy foe do good.
Kyrioleis.
Thy marriage-bond thou shalt keep clean,
That to no other thy heart lean;
Thy life thou must keep pure and free,
Temperate, with fine chastity.
Kyrioleis.
Money or goods steal not, nor yet
Traffic in others’ blood and sweat;
But open wide thy kindly hand
To the poor man in thy land.
Kyrioleis.
Evil reports thou shalt not bear,
Nor ‘gainst thy neighbour falsely swear;
His innocence thou shalt defend,
And hide his shame from foe or friend.
Kyrioleis.
Thy neighbour’s wife or house to win
Thou shalt not seek—or aught therein;
But wish all good to him may be,
As thy own heart doth to thee.
Kyrioleis.
To us come these commands, that so
Thou, son of man, thy sins mayst know,
And with this lesson thy heart fill,
That man must live for God’s will.
Kyrioleis.
May Christ our Lord help us in this,
For he our mediator is;
Our own work is a hopeless thing,
Wrath alone all it can bring.
Kyrioleis.

II.
Oh man, wouldst thou live blissfully,
And dwell with God eternally,
Thou shalt observe the ten commands,
Written by God with his hands:
Kyrioleis.
Thy God and Lord I am alway;
No other God shall make thee stray;
Thy heart must ever trust in me;
Mine own kingdom shalt thou be:
Kyrioleis.
My name to honour thou shalt heed,
And call on me in time of need.
Thou shalt keep whole the sabbath day,
That so in thee I work may:
Kyrioleis.
To thy father and mother thou
Shalt, next me, in obedience bow;
None kill, nor yield to anger wild;
And keep thy marriage undefiled:
Kyrioleis.
From any one thou shalt not steal;
Falsely with others never deal;
Thy neighbour’s wife thou shalt not eye:
Let his be his welcomely!
Kyrioleis.

X. THE CREED.
In one true God we all believe,
Maker of the earth and heaven;
Who, us as children to receive,
Hath himself as father given.
Now and henceforth he will feed us;
Soul and body, will be round us;
‘Gainst mischances all will heed us;
Nought shall come on us to wound us.
He watches for us, cares, defends;
And everything to his might bends.
And we believe in Jesus Christ,
His son, our Lord. Evermore he
Sits beside the Father high’st,
Equal God in might and glory.
He of Mary, the young maiden,
Verily was born true human
By the Holy Ghost. Grief-laden
For our sakes, lost man and woman,
He on the cross expired in faith,
And rose again, through God, from death.
We believe in the Holy Ghost
With the Father and the Saviour,
In whom the fearful learn to boast,
Who the meek doth crown with favour.
Christendom, in earth and heaven,
Of one heart and mind he keepeth.
Here all sins shall be forgiven;
Wake too shall the flesh that sleepeth;
After these sufferings there shall be
Life to all eternity. Amen.

XI. PRAYER.
I.
THE LORD’S PRAYER, BRIEFLY AND PLAINLY SET FORTH, AND TURNED INTO METRE.
Our Father in the heaven who art,
Who tellest all of us, in heart
Brothers to be, and on thee call,
And wilt have prayer from us all—
Grant, not from mouth alone it flow;
From deepest heart oh let it go!
Hallowed be thy name, O Lord;
Amongst us oh keep pure thy word,
That we too may live holily,
And in thy true name worthily!
Defend us, Lord, from lying lore;
Thy poor misguided folk restore.
Thy kingdom come now here below!
And after there on ever go!
The Holy Ghost his temple hold
In us with graces manifold!
The devil’s wrath and greatness strong
Crush, that he do thy church no wrong.
Thy will be done the same, Lord God,
On earth as in thy high abode!
In pain give patience for relief,
Obedience in love and grief;
All flesh and blood keep off and check
That ‘gainst thy will makes a stiff neck.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And all that doth the body stead;
From strife and war, Lord, keep us free,
From sickness and from scarcity;
That we in happy peace may rest,
By care and greed all undistrest.
Forgive, Lord, all our trespasses,
That they to us have no access;
As to our debtors we gladly let
Pass every wrong and every debt.
To serve make us all ready be
In honest love and unity.
Into temptation lead us not.
When th’ evil spirit makes battle hot
Upon the left and the right hand,
Help us with vigour to withstand
Firm in the faith, armed ‘gainst a host
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost.
From all that’s evil free thy sons—
The time, the days are wicked ones.
Deliver us from endless death;
Comfort us in our latest breath;
Grant us also a blessed end:
Our spirit take into thy hand.
Amen! that is, let this come true!
Strengthen our faith ever anew,
That we may never be in doubt
Of that we here have prayed about.
In thy name, trusting in thy word,
We say a soft Amen, O Lord.

II.
THE LITANY.
1. Chorus: Kyrie, 2. Chorus: Eleison.
1. Christe, 2. Eleison.
1. Kyrie, 2. Eleison.
1. O Christ, 2. Hear us!
1. Lord God, the Father in heaven,
1. Lord God, the Son, Saviour of the world,
1. Lord God, the Holy Ghost,
2. Have pity upon us.
1. Be gracious unto us.
2. Spare us, dear Lord God.
1. Be gracious unto us.
2. Help us, dear Lord God.
1. From all sins,
From all error,
From all evil,
2. Defend us, dear Lord God.
1. From the deceit and wiles of the devil,
From violent, sudden death,
From pestilence and famine,
From war and bloodshed,
From uproar and discord,
From fire and flood,
From hail and tempest,
From the eternal death,
2. Defend us, dear Lord God.
1. Through thy holy birth,
Through thy death-struggle and bloody sweat,
Through thy cross and death,
2. Help us, dear Lord God.
1. Through thy holy resurrection and ascension,
In our final distress,
At the last judgement,
2. Help us, dear Lord God.
1. We poor sinners pray
2. That thou wouldst hear us, dear Lord God!
1. And thy holy Church govern and lead.
All bishops, parsons, and clerks, keep in the wholesome word and holy
life.
All factions and offences prevent.
All that wander and all that are led astray, bring back.
Tread Satan under our feet.
Into thy harvest send forth true labourers.
Give to the word thy spirit and power.
All that are troubled and faint-hearted help and comfort them.
To all kings and princes give peace and concord.
To our emperor grant constant victory over his enemies.
Our governors, and all their mighty ones, guide and defend.
Our council, school, and congregation, bless and protect.
To all in distress and on a journey, appear with help.
To all that are with child and that give suck, grant happy result and
good success.
All children and sick persons foster and tend.
All prisoners loose and unburden.
All widows and orphans defend and provide for.
Take pity upon all men.
Our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, forgive and convert.
The fruits of the earth give and preserve;
And graciously hear us.
2. Hear us, dear Lord God.
1. O Jesus Christ, God’s Son,
2. Have pity upon us.
1. O thou Lamb of God, that bearest the sins of the world,
2. Have pity upon us.
1. O thou Lamb of God, that bearest the sins of the world,
2. Have pity upon us.
1. O thou Lamb of God, that bearest the sins of the world,
2. Grant us lasting peace.
1. Christ, 2. Hear us.
1. Lord, 2. Have pity,
1. Christ, 2. Have pity,
1. 2. Lord, have pity. Amen.

III.
Peach to us in thy mercy grant;
In our times, Lord, it settle;
Sure there is not another one
Able to fight our battle
Except thee, our Lord God, only.

XII. BAPTISM.
A SPIRITUAL SONG, CONCERNING OUR HOLY BAPTISM, WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY
CONTAINED WHAT IT IS, WHO HAS INSTITUTED IT, WHERETO IT SERVES, &C.
To Jordan when our Lord had gone,
His Father’s pleasure willing,
He took his baptism of St. John,
His work and charge fulfilling;
Therein he did appoint a bath
To wash us from defilement,
And there to drown that cruel Death
In his blood of assoilment:
‘Twas no less than a new life.
Let all then hear and right receive
The baptism of the Father;
And learn what Christians must believe,
Shunning where heretics gather.
Water indeed, not water mere
Therein can work his pleasure:
His holy Word is also there
With Spirit rich, unmeasured:
He is the one baptizer.
This clearly showed He by his word
Of open recognition;
The Father’s voice men plainly heard
At Jordan claim his mission.
God said, This is my own dear Son
In whom I am well contented;
To you I send him, every one—
That all may hear I have sent him,
And follow what he teaches.
Also God’s Son himself here stands
In human presentation;
On him the Holy Ghost descends
In dove-like shape and fashion,
That not a doubt should ever rise
That, when we are baptized,
All the three Persons do baptize;
And they be recognized
Themselves come to dwell with us.
Christ to his scholars says: Go forth,
Give to all men acquaintance
That lost in sin lies the whole earth,
And must turn to repentance.
Believe, and be baptized, and then
Each man is blest for ever;
From that hour he’s a new-born man,
And thenceforth, dying never,
The kingdom shall inherit.
But who in this grace puts no faith
Abides in sin, life misses;
He is condemned to endless death
Deep down in hell’s abysses.
Nothing avails his righteousness,
And lost are all his merits;
Sin original holds its place—
The sin which he inherits;
And help himself he cannot.
The eye but water doth behold
As from man’s hand it floweth;
But inward faith the power untold
Of Jesus Christ’s blood knoweth:
Faith sees therein a red flood roll,
With Christ’s blood dyed and blended,
Which hurt of every kind makes whole,
Whether from Adam heired
Or by ourselves committed.

XIII. REPENTANCE.
THE HUNDRED AND THIRTIETH PSALM.
From trouble deep I cry to thee;
Lord God, hear thou my crying;
Thy gracious ear oh turn to me,
Open it to thy sighing.
For if thou mean’st to look upon
The wrong and evil that is done,
Who, Lord, can stand before thee?
With thee availeth nought but grace
To cover trespass mortal;
Our good deeds cannot show their face,
In best life they come short all.
Before thee no one glory can,
And so must tremble every man,
And live by thy grace only.
Hope therefore in my God will I,
On my deserts nought founding;
Upon him shall my heart rely,
All on his goodness grounding.
What his true word doth promise me
My comfort shall and refuge be;
That will I always wait for.
And if it last into the night,
And last again till morning,
Yet shall my heart hope in God’s might,
Despair and foresight scorning.
Thus Israel must keep his post,
For he was born of the Holy Ghost,
And for his God must tarry.
Although our sin be great; God’s grace
Is greater to relieve us;
His hand from helping nothing stays,
Howe’er the hurt be grievous.
The shepherd good alone is He,
Who will at last set Israel free,
From all and every trespass.

XIV. THE LORD’S SUPPER.
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.