Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.—Rev. 1.7

[Magnificat. Excerpted from 1599 Geneva Bible.]

Magnificat.

The Song of the Blessed Mary.


MY soul doth magnify the Lord,
My spirit also evermore,
Rejoiceth in the Lord my God,
Which is my Saviour.
And why? because he did regard,
And gave respect unto,
So base estate of his handmaid,
And let the mighty go.
 
For now behold the nations all,
And generations all,
From this time forth for evermore
Shall me right blessed call.
Because he hath me magnified
Which is the Lord of might:
Whose name be ever sanctified,
And praised day and night.
 
For with his mercy and his grace
All men he doth enflame,
Throughout all generations,
To such as fear his name.
He shewed strength with his great arm,
And made the proud to start,
With all imaginations
That they bare in their heart.
 
He hath put down the mighty ones
From their supernal seat:
And did exalt the meek in heart,
As he hath thought it meet.
The hungry he replenished
With all things that were good:
And through his pow’r he made the rich
Oft times to want their food.
 
And calling to remembrance
His mercy every deal
Hath holpen up assistantly
His servant Israel,
According to his promise made
To Abraham before,
And to his seed successively,
To stand for evermore.