Night with holy silence fills
Judah's lonely vales and hills,
And the moonlight beauty sleeps
Round her rough and rocky steeps;
While aloft, in heavenly space,
Lo! that mystic star of grace!
Shining from the tranquil skies,
Over where the young child lies.

Open Thou, O God, mine eyes!
Make them quick to read the skies!
May no clouds my vision mar,
While I follow Bethlehem's star!
Lead me, like those men of old,
Through the night-paths lone and cold,
Till the star the secret tells,

Where my King Immanuel dwells.

INCREASE N. TARBOX, D. D.

X

GIFTS

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts,-gold and frankincense and myrrh. -Matt. II: II.

From out the golden doors of dawn

The wise men came, of wondrous thought, Who knew the stars. From far upon

The shoreless East they kneeling brought Their costly gifts of inwrought gems and gold, While cloudlike incense from their presence rolled.

Their sweets of flower fields, their sweet
Distillments of most sacred leaves
They laid, low bending at His feet,

As reapers bend above their sheaves-
As strong-armed reapers bending clamorous
To give their gathered full sheaves kneeling thus.
JOAQUIN MILLER

They came by night to worship Him
Of whom the prophets told;

They brought Him costly gifts of myrrh
And frankincense and gold.

J. D. S.

Wise men from the lands afar,
Long have watched that wondrous star;
Night by night, with eager gaze,
Caught its strange, prophetic rays:
Till their wayworn feet are led
Safely to this cradle bed,

Glad to pour the gifts they bring,
Down before the newborn King.

Meet it is to bring your gold,
And your wealth of myrrh unfold;
He whom ancient prophets saw,
Comes to magnify the law:
He, the meek and kingly child,
Holy, harmless, undefiled,
Rises from this lowly birth,

Prince of Peace, to rule the earth.

INCREASE N. TARBOX, D. D.

Our Friend, our Brother, and our Lord, What may thy service be?

Nor name, nor form, nor ritual word,

But simply following Thee.

JOHN G. WHITTIER