Scripture Verse

Cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished. Isaiah 40:2

Introduction

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John M. Neale (1818–1866)
Wikipedia

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Words: John M. Neale, Hymns of the East­ern Church 1862, based on the Greek of Jo­seph the Hym­no­gra­pher.

Music: Ax­bridge Ar­thur H. D. Pren­der­gast, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1889 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Joseph the Hymnographer
?–883

Lyrics

Safe home, safe home in port!
Rent cordage, shat­tered deck,
Torn sails, pro­vi­sions short,
And on­ly not a wreck;
But oh! the joy up­on the shore
To tell our voy­age—per­ils o’er!

The prize, the prize se­cure!
The ath­lete near­ly fell;
Bare all he could en­dure,
And bare not al­ways well;
But he may smile at trou­bles gone
Who sets the vic­tor-gar­land on.

No more the foe can harm;
No more of leag­uered camp,
And cry of night al­arm,
And need of rea­dy lamp;
And yet how near­ly he had failed—
How near­ly had that foe pre­vailed!

The lamb is in the fold,
In per­fect saf­ety penned;
The li­on once had hold,
And thought to make an end;
But One came by with wound­ed side,
And for the sheep the Shep­herd died.

The ex­ile is at home!
O nights and days of tears,
O long­ings not to roam,
O sins and doubts and fears;
What mat­ters now grief’s dark­est day?
The King has wiped those tears away