3 Still restless nature dies and grows;

From change to change the creatures run: Thy being no succession knows,

And all thy vast designs are one.

4 A glance of thine runs through the globe,
Rules the bright worlds, and moves their frame;
Of light thou form'st thy dazzling robe;
Thy ministers are living flame.

5 How shall polluted mortals dare
To sing thy glory or thy grace?
Beneath thy feet we lie afar,

And see but shadows of thy face.

6 Who can behold the blazing light?
Who can approach consuming flame?
None but thy wisdom knows thy might;
None but thy word can speak thy name.

110

C. M.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for us.
HALL foolish, weak, short-sighted man
Beyond the angels go,-

The great Almighty God explain,

Or to perfection know?

2 His attributes divinely soar
Above the creature's sight,
And prostrate seraphim adore
The glorious Infinite.

3 The brightness of his glory leaves
Description far below;

Nor man's nor angel's heart conceives
How deep his mercies flow.

4 His grace is most unsearchable,
And dazzles all above;

They gaze, but cannot count or tell
The treasures of his love.

111

C. M.

Worthy of ceaseless praise from all his creatures. RAISE ye the Lord, ye' immortal choirs

Phat fill the worlds above;

Praise him who form'd you of his fires,
And feeds you with his love.

2 Shine to his praise, ye crystal skies,
The floor of his abode;

Or veil in shades your thousand eyes
Before your brighter God.

3 Thou restless globe of golden light,
Whose beams create our days,
Join with the silver queen of night,
To own your borrow'd rays.

4 Thunder and hail, and fire and storms,
The troops of his command,
Appear in all your dreadful forms,
And speak his awful hand.

5 Shout to the Lord, ye surging seas,
In your eternal roar;

Let wave to wave resound his praise,
And shore reply to shore.

6 Thus while the meaner creatures sing,
Ye mortals, catch the sound;
Echo the glories of your King
Through all the nations round.
112

5th P. M. 4 lines 7s.

Eternal praises to the Most High.

THEE to laud in songs divine

Angels in thy presence join:
We with them our voices raise,
Echo thine eternal praise.

2 Holy, holy, holy Lord,

Live, by heaven and earth adored:
Thus, with them, we ever cry,
Glory be to God most high!

JESUS CHRIST.

113

C. M.

Glad tidings of great joy.

WHILE shepherds watch'd their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.

2 Fear not, said he, (for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind,)
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
To you and all mankind.

3 To you, in David's town, this day
Is born, of David's line,

The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

4 The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view display'd,

All meanly wrapp'd in swathing-bands,
And in a manger laid.

5 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appear'd a shining throng

Of angels, praising God on high,

Who thus address'd their song:

6 All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace:

Good-will henceforth, from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease.

114

HA

9th P. M. 87, 87.

Peace on earth-good-will to men.
[ARK! what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo! the' angelic host rejoices;
Heavenly hallelujahs rise.

2 Listen to the wondrous story,
Which they chant in hymns of joy :—
Glory in the highest, glory,

Glory be to God most high!

3 Peace on earth, good-will from heaven, Reaching far as man is found; Souls redeem'd, and sins forgiven!Loud our golden harps shall sound. 4 Christ is born, the great Anointed; Heaven and earth his praises sing; O receive whom God appointed,

For your Prophet, Priest, and King. 5 Hasten, mortals, to adore him; Learn his name, and taste his joy; Till in heaven ye sing before him,Glory be to God most high!

115

15th P. M. 11 9, 11 9.

Christmas-day.

ALT hail! happy day,

When, enrobed in our clay,

The Redeemer appear'd upon earth;
How can we refrain

To unite in the strain,

And to hail our Immanuel's birth!

2 Ye angels of God,

Sound his praises abroad,

And acknowledge him JAH, the I AM:
We also will join

In a hymn so divine,
Giving glory to God and the Lamb!

30 may the return

Of this once blessed morn
Be forever remember'd with joy:
Sweet accents of praise

All our voices shall raise;
Hallelujahs shall be our employ!

4 Let echo prolong
The harmonious song,-
Hallelujahs again and again:
He kindles the fire,

Whom the nations desire,

And to him we devote the glad strain.

116

Glory to God in the highest.

C. M.

MORTALS, awake, with angels join,

And chant the solemn lay;

Joy, love, and gratitude combine,
To hail the' auspicious day.

2 In heaven the rapt'rous song began,
And sweet seraphic fire

Through all the shining legions ran,
And strung and tuned the lyre.

3 Swift through the vast expanse it flew, And loud the echo roll'd;

The theme, the song, the joy, was new,→
"Twas more than heaven could hold.
4 Down through the portals of the sky
The' impetuous torrent ran;

And angels flew, with eager joy,
To bear the news to man.

-

5 With joy the chorus we repeat,-
Glory to God on high!

Good-will and peace are now complete-
Jesus was born to die.

6 Hail, Prince of life, forever hail!
Redeemer, Brother, Friend!
Though earth, and time, and life shall fail,
Thy praise shall never end.

7 Hark! the cherubic armies shout,
And glory leads the song:

Good-will and peace are heard throughout The' harmonious heavenly throng.