O Holy Dove, Assist My Love

O Holy Dove

as­sist my love

Give my soul swift wings to fly

And reach the Palm

whose won­drous balm

Fragrance yields that fills the sky:

There God our Lord

th’In­car­nate Word

Glorious friend of our lost race

Hung

wound­ed sore

and bruised all o’er

Meekly bear­ing all dis­grace.

My heart

awake! O Je­su

take

Pity; save me; re­fuge give;

And op­en wide Thy bleed­ing side

Hidden there my soul shall live

And peace­ful dwell

se­cure from hell

Free from ev­ery world­ly snare:

No mount­ain cave such rest e’er gave

Hunted wan­der­ers shel­tered there.

O Love Di­vine

for ev­er mine

Didst Thou suf­fer

Lord

for me

Amazing loss? and did the cross

Wring Thy soul with ago­ny?

Yes

Lord

that tree did tor­ture Thee

Though no sin at all was Thine;

For my foul guilt Thy blood was spilt;

Now life through Thy death is mine.

It seems too much to make me such

Dearest Lord

as Thou hast done;

Oh

while I live

my­self I give;

Take the heart which Thou hast won:

O bless­èd love

born from ab­ove

Unconquered Thou

while con­quer­ing all;

Before Thy breath

strong­er than death

Harmless all his darts must fall.

Though dead in sins

new life be­gins

Wrought in me by love’s sweet might;

Illustrious fire

burn on: blaze high­er:

Melt this froz­en heart out­right:

O Christ

in­flame

through Thy dear name

My loved soul with love of Thee;

To hold Thee e’er

to leave Thee ne’er—

Give

Oh

give this pow­er to me.