Antiphon (II)
Praise for Mercy to All
The chorus and voices call for praise to the God of love, who extends mercy to both friend and enemy.
Chorus. Praise be to the God of love, Men. Here below, Angels. And here above: Chorus. Who has dealt out his mercies so, Angels. To his friend, Men. And to his enemy;
Grace and Glory from the Shepherd
The chorus and voices declare that grace and glory come from the great Shepherd who made us and was sold for us.
Chorus. That both grace and glory tend Angels.1 Us of old, Men. And us in the end. Chorus. The great shepherd of the fold Angels. Made us, Men.2 Was sold for us.✦3
Victory and Adoration
The chorus and voices proclaim Christ's victory over foes, our intimate touch and reception of him, and our humble adoration.
Chorus. He shattered our enemies: Angels.✦ We touch him; Men. And we receive him.4 Chorus. So, since he is this way, Angels. We adore, Men. And we bow down.5
United in Praise
The chorus and voices confess their poverty of praise, yet conclude that God alone is praised for making two folds one.
Chorus. Lord, your praises should be greater. Men. We have none, Angels. And we have no store.6 Chorus. Praise be to God alone, who has made two folds into one.✦7
Read the original English
Chor. PRaised be the God of love, Men. Here below, Angels. And here above: Cho. Who hath dealt his mercies so, Ang. To his friend, Men. And to his foe;
Cho. That both grace and glorie tend Ang. Us of old, Men. And us in th'end. Cho. The great shepherd of the fold Ang. Us did make, Men. For us was sold.
Cho. He our foes in pieces brake: Ang. Him we touch; Men. And him we take. Cho. Wherefore since that he is such, Ang. We adore, Men. And we do crouch.
# Cho. Lord, thy praises should be more. Men. We have none, Ang. And we no store. Cho. Praised be the God alone, Who hath made of two folds one.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.26.15;1Cor.6.20;Gal.2.20 — and he said, 'What are you willing to give me, and I will hand him over to you?' And they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 1Cor.6.20 — For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. Gal.2.20 — I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- ↩Ps.2.9 — You will shatter them with a rod of iron; like a potter's vessel you will dash them to pieces.
- ↩John.10.16;Eph.2.14 — And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice, so there will be one flock, one shepherd. Eph.2.14 — For he himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of hostility
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'tend' means extend toward / are directed to; object continues in the next lines ('us of old… and us in the end'). 'Glorie' modernized as 'glory'.
- 2 ↩Un-inverted Early Modern do-support 'Us did make' to natural modern order 'Made us,' with the subject still the great shepherd from the previous line.
- 3 ↩Source 'For us was sold' keeps Christ as subject (the great shepherd): sold on our behalf—betrayal price and redemptive self-giving both possible; not causal 'because'.
- 4 ↩Men's 'take' contrasts with the angels' 'touch'; may imply incarnational reception, sacramental taking, or both, in this angels/men antiphon.
- 5 ↩Source 'crouch' means low, humble prostration before God; kept over softer 'bow' to preserve the angels-adore / men-crouch contrast.
- 6 ↩Source elliptical 'And we no store': 'store' means supply/stock of praise; the omitted verb is supplied as 'have' for modern readability.
- 7 ↩'folds' keeps Herbert's pastoral image (sheepfolds/flocks); the two made one are the antiphon's human and angelic companies, with possible wider biblical resonance.
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