PR 4516 .17 TH^il^l^M^T^f ^^^ i K^'-^ .^^pr~^^ f^^%^^l\\>> \\AT< HH) THtlH H 0( Ks 1 WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT. While shepherds watch'd their flocks by night, All seated on the ground. The angel of the Lord came down, And glory shone around. "Fear not," said he; (for mighty dread Had seized their troubled mind;) " Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. " To you in David's town this da}- Is born of David's line The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord ; And this shall be the sign. " The Heavenly Babe you there shall find To human view displayed. All meanly wrapt in swathing bands, And in a manger laid." WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED TIlKIll FLOCKS BY NIGHT. Thus spake the Seraph ; and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels, praising God, and thus Addressed their joyful song. " All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace ; Good will henceforth from Heaven to men Begin, and never cease ! " — Nalnmi Tate. AXD TO THE EAIITH BE TEACE.' E '-^MH'- i » 'HAKK I THK HERALU ANGELS SIN'G. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING. Hark ! the herald angels sing, " Glory to the new-born King : Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled ! " Joyful all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies ; Universal nature, say, Christ the Lord is born to-day ! Christ, by highest Heaven adored ; Christ, the Everlasting Lord; Late in time behold Him come, Oii'spring of a Virgin's womb ; Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail, th' Incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to appear, Jesus our Immanuel here ! 16 BARK! THE llKRAhD ANGELS SINO. Hail ! the heavenly Prince of Peace ! Hail ! the son of Righteousness ! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by. Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth. Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home. Rise, the woman's conquering seed, Bruise in us the SerjDent's head. Now display thy saving power. Ruined nature now restore. Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to thine. Adam's likeness, Lord, efface ; Stamp thy image in its place ; Second Adam from above. Reinstate us in Thy love. Let us Thee, though lost, regain. Thee, the Life, the Heavenly Man: 0, to all Thy self impart. Formed in each believing heart ! — Chiirks Wesley. THE STAR-SONG. Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue, Where is the Babe but lately sprung ? Lies he the lily-banks among ? Or say, if this new Birth of ours Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers. Spangled with dew-light ; thou canst clear All doubts, and manifest the where. Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek Him in the morning's blushing cheek. Or search the beds of spices through. To find him out ? Star : No, this ye need not do ; But only come and see Him rest. A princely babe, on 's mother's breast. — Robert Ilerrick. EPIPHANY. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid ! Star of the east, the horizon adorning, Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid ! Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining. Low lies His bed with the beasts of the stall ; Angels adore Him in slumber reclining — Maker, and monarch, and Saviour of all. Say, shall we yield him in costly devotion. Odors of Edom, and offerings divine: Gems of the mountain and pearls of tlie ocean ; Myrrh from the foi-est and gold from the mine ? Vainly we offer each ample oblation, Vainly with gold would His favor secure ; Richer by far is the heart's adoration. Dearer to God are the praj'ers of the poor. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning. Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid ! Star of the east, the horizon adorning. Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid ! — Rer/liiald Heber. A CHRISTMAS HYMN. What sudden Ijlaze of song Spreads o'er tlie expanse of Heaven ? In waves of light it thrills along, Th' angelic signal given : Glory to God ! from yonder central fire Flows out the echoing lay beyoud the starry choir. Like circles widening round Upon a clear blue river. Orb after orb, the wondrous sound Is echoed on forever : " Glory to God on high, on earth be peace, Aiid love toward men of love, salvation and release ! " Yet stay, before thou dare To join that festal throng ; Listen, and mark what gentle air First stirred the tide of song : 'T is not, " the Saviour born in David's home, To whom for power and health obedient worlds should come." A CHRISTMAS HYMN. 'T is not, " the Christ the Lord " : With fixed adoring look The choir of angels caught the word, Nor yet their silence broke : But when they heard the sign, where Christ should be, In sudden light they shone, and heavenly harmony. Wrapped in His swaddling bands, And in his manger laid, The Hope and Glory of all lands Is come to the world's aid : No peaceful home upon His cradle smiled ; Guests rudely went and came, where slept the royal Child. But where Thou dwellest. Lord, No other thought should be ; Once duly welcomed and adored. How should I part witli Thee ? Bethlehem must lose Thee soon ; but Thou wilt grace The single heart to be Thy sure abiding-place. Thee, on the bosom laid Of a pure virgin mind, In quiet ever and in shade Shepherd and sage may find ; They, who have bowed untaught to nature's sway, And they, who follow Truth along her star-paved way. The pastoral spirits first Approach Thee, Babe divine ; rn^M -m. .3 :^, 1 lit ..JLJ .JlMfflMa:i',5i.MfAi A CHlilSTMAs HVMy. For they in lonely thoughts are nurst. Meet for thy lowly .shrine ; Sooner than they should miss where Thou dost dwell. Angels from Heaven will stoop to guide them to Th}- cell. Still as the day comes round For Thee to be revealed. By wakeful shepherds thou art found. Abiding in the field : All through the wintry heaven and chill night air In music and in light Thou dawnest on their prayer. ' YOClt WANDERING SHEEP ! " faint not ye for fear ! What though your wandering sheep, Reckless of what they see and hear, Lie lost in wilful sleep ? High Heaven, in mercy to your sad annoy, Still greets you with glad tidings of immortal joy. THE Ay GEL s soya. Think on the eternal home The Saviour left for you ; Think on the Lord most holy, come To dwell with hearts untrue : So shall ye tread untried His pastoral ways, And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise. -John Keble. THE ANGEL'S SONG. It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold : '• Peace on earth, good will to men, From Heaven's all-gracious King." The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels siny;. Still thro' the cloven skies they come. With peaceful wings unfurled ; And still their heavenly music floats O'er all the weary world : *'AM> YE, ItKNEATH LIFE'S CRUSHING LOAD, THE ANGEL'S SONG. Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing, And ever o'er its Babel sounds Tlie blessed angels sincr. But with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long ; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand yeai's of wrong ; And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring : liush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sins. And ye, beneath life's crushing load Whose forms are bending low. Who toil along the climbing way, With painful steps and slow — Look now ; for glad and golden hours Come swifth on the wing : rest beside the wearj' road, And hear the angels sing. For lo, the days are hastening on By prophet bards foretold. When with the ever circling years Comes round the age of gold THE ANGELS. Wlien Peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors lling. And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing. — Ilei: E. II. Sr,f,:-:. THE ANGELS. Run, shepherds, run where Bethlehem blest appears. We bring the best of news ; be not dismayed : A Saviour there is born more old than years, Amidst Heaven's rolling height this earth who stayed. In a poor cottage inned, a virgin maid A weakling did hiui bear, who all upbears ; There is he poorly swaddled, in manger laid. To whom too narrow swaddhngs are our spheres : Run, shepherds, run, and solemnize his birth. This is that night — no, day. grown great with Ijliss, In which the power of Satan broken is : In Heaven be glory, peace unto the earth ! Thus singing, through the air the angels swarm, And cope of stars re-echoed the same. — I)rinmnori