St. Michael and All Angels

Ever round Thy glorious throne,
Where Thou sittest, Lord! alone,
Veil'd in light and clothed in love,
Bright adoring angels move.

They to do Thy bidding wait,
Honouring Thine awful state:
Watchful eyes and folded wings
Circle Thee, the King of kings.

From the world's remotest prime,
Since the earliest hours of time,
Thou to man hast let them bear
Proofs of Thy undying care.

Eager for the sweet employ,
Even in the midst of joy;
Never so supremely blest,
As when succouring the distrest:

Golden harp and starry crown
Willingly awhile laid down,
If Thy voice but bid them go
To relieve some human woe:

Living in the happy air,
Which surrounds Thy presence there;
They inhale with breathing heart
That pure Love, which Lord Thou art:

And the lowest share they can
Have, in saving sinful man,
Is the highest blessing given,
Even in the courts of Heaven.

Once, on charge of sorrow sent,
They — almost unwilling — went;
(If the hearts, to Thee so true,
Could Thy will unwilling do)

Went to close that crystal door,
By which mortal never more
From the ways of sin and strife
Shall re-seek the Tree of Life.

But if once to earth they came,
Arm'd with sword of living flame,
To themselves and man, in guise
As it were of enemies: —

They were truest friends indeed,
Helped him most in time of need,
When they kept him from that tree,
Which eternal death would be:

For eternal life in sin
Is a living death within:
Happy they, whose hands did miss
Such a suicide of bliss!

Ever since that hour of grief,
They have brought to man relief,
Viewless blessings have provided,
And, with viewless hands, have guided:

Promises from Heaven did bear;
Answers brought to wrestling prayer;
On th'unwilling shoulder laid
Gentle force, the weak to aid:

Timely by the faithful stood,
Kept th'obedient hand from blood;
To the perverse brought delay,
When upon his wilful way:

'Wondrously ' for Israel wrought,
Judges to her councils brought;
Samsons strength, and Gideon's sword,
To the battles of the Lord.

Watch beside the prophet kept,
When dispirited he slept;
Touched, and woke, and gave him food,
Against hungry solitude:

To the Ethiopian brought
Him, who Christ's salvation taught;
To the Gentile soldier bare
Answer to his alms and prayer:

Soothed the holy prisoner's pains,
Woke him up, and loosed his chains;
Hope of life, and shelt'ring shore,
To the saints in shipwreck bore.

Thus from age to age, O Lord,
Did Thine Angel bands afford
Help in danger, joy in woe,
To Thy suff'ring Church below.

'Ministering spirits' sent
Both to ' follow ' and ' prevent,'
Lest the loved ones, Thou dost own,
‘Dash their foot against a stone.'

But with tend'rest, gentlest love,
All their other care above,
They with earnest hearts and eyes
Watch'd the wondrous Sacrifice.

Follow'd with admiring gaze
All their Lord's mysterious ways,
From the day He stooped to men,
Till He rose to Heaven again.

One to ' blessed ' Mary came,
Told the hour and breathed the Name;
One to ' shepherds in the field '
Their incarnate God revealed.

Many, when the fight was o'er,
To the desert comfort bore;
Eager who should first appear,
Their exhausted Lord to cheer.

In the agony and sweat
Of His prayers on Olivet,
One, to wipe His brow of blood,
And bring strength, beside Him stood.

Two were near Him when He rose,
Laid aside His burial clothes,
And with ling'ring fond delay
Sat to watch where Jesus lay.

And, when He on high ascended,
Wrapt in clouds, by hosts attended,
Hail'd, while entering Heaven's abode,
Son of Man! and Son of God!

Two, in robes of white array'd,
Willingly behind Him stay'd,
To uplift the hearts, that yearn
O'er His loss, to His return.

Glorious God! Who didst ordain
This Thy bright angelic train,
Always in Thy courts to do
Service to Thee, high and true;

Grant that they, for us on earth,
Thro' our right of second birth,
May, as guardian angels, move
Round our paths with Heavenly love.

This for Jesu's sake we ask:
Dear to them the blessed task!
O! to us may grace be given,
Here to serve, as they in Heaven!