And, by a maiden mother,
Pure, tender—down he came to me,
For he must be my brother!
Concealed he brought his strength enorm,
And went about in my poor form,
Meaning to catch the devil.
He said unto me: Hold by me,
Thy matters I will settle;
I give myself all up for thee,
And I will fight thy battle.
For I am thine, and thou art mine,
And my house also shall be thine;
The enemy shall not part us.
Like water he will shed my blood,
Of life my heart bereaving;
All this I suffer for thy good—
That hold with firm believing;
My Life shall swallow up that Death;
My innocence bears thy sins, He saith,
So henceforth thou art happy.
To heaven unto my Father high,
From this life I am going;
But there thy master still am I,
My spirit on thee bestowing,
Whose comfort shall thy trouble quell,
And teach thy heart to know me well,
Thee into all truth guiding.
What I have done, what I have said,
Thou must go doing, teaching;
That so the kingdom of God may spread,
To His praise all men reaching.
But take heed what men bid thee do—
That will corrupt the treasure true:
With this last word I leave thee. Amen.
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,