LORD, for Thy grace and patient love,
Unwearied still, and still the same,
For all our hopes of joy above
We laud and bless Thy Holy Name.

We bless thee for each happy soul
Throughout another fleeting year,
Or by Thy quickening grace made
whole,

Or parted in Thy faith and fear.

Still bear with us, and bless us still;
And, while in this dark world we stay,
O let us love Thy sacred will,
O let us keep Thy narrow way.
So, when the rolling stream of time
Hath opened to a boundless sea;
Loud will we raise that song sublime,
"All power and glory be to Thee."
41.

FOR Thy mercy and Thy grace

7s.

Faithful through another year, Hear our song of thankfulness, FATHER, and Redeemer, hear! In our weakness and distress, Rock of Strength! be Thou our stay! In the pathless wilderness Be our true and living way! Who of us death's awful road In the coming year shall tread? With Thy rod and staff, O God, Comfort Thou his dying head! Keep us faithful, keep us pure, Keep us evermore Thine own, Help, O help us to endure, Fit us for the promised crown! So within Thy palace gate We shall praise, on golden strings,

43. E.

With all its joys for those new-born, With all its troubled mourners' tears.

We thank Thee, LORD, for countless gifts,

For dangers we have passed unscathed;

We thank Thee for Thy Church preserved,

O seal to us her ancient faith.

Again we ask Thy goodness, LORD, The coming year in mercy bless; Guard Thou our land from pestilence, And give us peace and plenteousness. Forgive this nation's many sins, Destroy the strength that sin has gained,

And give us grace with sin to strive, And give us crowns through strife

attained.

We hate the sins that stain the past, We would henceforth from them be free;

O grant us peaceful years, good LORD,

And we will spend them all to Thee. We would that our good FATHER'S eye

Should look on us, but not in wrath; And we, Thy children, year by year, A purer song of praise pour forth.

L. M.

WHY, impious Herod, vainly fear,

That CHRIST the SAVIOUR COMeth here?

He takes not earthly realms away, Who gives the crown that lasts for

aye.

To greet His birth the wise men went,

Led by the star before them sent; Called on by Light, towards Light they pressed,

And by their gifts their Gop confessed.

In holy Jordan's purest wave The heavenly Lamb vouchsafed to lave;

That He, to Whom was sin unknown, Might cleanse His people from their

own.

New miracle of power Divine ! The water reddens into wine:

Sing of Him Whom wise men worshipped

As the Son of God Most High, Hasting from the Chaldee nation To adore His Majesty.

CHRIST, of Whom sang all the Pro- t phets,

Coming hither man to save,

GOD'S Sole-Begotten came to earth; To dwell with us by Virgin birth; Upon the Font His Cross sheds grace To generate a faithful race.

From heaven on high He took His way,

He clad Himself in mortal clay,

His creatures by His death to save,
And give them joys beyond the grave.
We pray Thee, SAVIOUR, in Thy love
Glide in amongst us from above,
And on our senses pour Thy light
With everlasting glory bright.
Abide with us, O gracious LORD,
And drive away the night abhorred,
Cleanse every stain of mortal sin,
And grant us healing medicine.
Thou, Whose first coming we have
known,

Shalt, we believe, again come down;
O JESU, in Thy mercy hold

Thy shield above Thy glorious fold.

All glory, LORD, to Thee we pay, Who hast appeared to us to-day; TO GOD the FATHER praise be done, And God the SPIRIT, Three in One. Amen.

glory,

Took the form of mortal slave, Very God before creation,

Borne by Mary in the cave.

CHRIST, of Whom in vision Balaam
Spake, beholding Him afar,
Out of Israel comes a Sceptre,

Out of Jacob comes a Star,
He shall smite all Moab's corners,
Vanquish Edom in the war.

Unto Him the Eastern sages

Myrrh and gold and fragrant incense
Make their threefold offering,
As His fitting presents bring,
Myrrh for Man, for God the incense,
Gold for their anointed King.
Then in dreams an Angel warns them
Herod's royal halls to shun,
Herod, trembling for his kingdom,
Fearing Mary's Infant Son,
So, as goes the star before them,

Home their course is quickly run. Then the tyrant, wild with anger, Foiled in his bad stratagem, Seeketh out the little children

Through the coasts of Bethlehem, And he sendeth forth his soldiers With command to slaughter them. Now let all the faithful people

Bearing gifts of mystic meaning
To the organ's pealing sing,
Unto CHRIST the Highest King,
Praying Him to keep His kingdom
Evermore beneath His wing.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger-bed;
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek the mercy-seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
CHRIST! to Thee our heavenly King.

Holy JESU, every day

Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There for ever may we sing
Alleluias to our King.

47.

8, 7, 8, 7.

BETHLEHEM! of noblest cities

None can once with thee com-
pare;

Thou alone the LORD from Heaven
Didst for us Incarnate bear.

Fairer than the sun at morning,
Was the star that told His birth;
To the lands their GoD announcing,
Hid beneath a form of earth.

By its lambent beauty guided,

See, the Eastern Kings appear; See them bend, their gifts to offer,Gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh. Offerings of mystic meaning !—

Incense doth the GoD disclose; Gold a Royal Child proclaimeth, Myrrh a future tomb foreshows. Holy JESU! in Thy brightness

To the Gentile world displayed! With the FATHER, and the SPIRIT, Endless praise to Thee be paid. Amen.

led,

With mild benignant ray,
The Gentiles to the lowly shed,
Where the Redeemer lay.

But, lo! a brighter, clearer light
Now points to His abode;

It shines through sin and sorrow's night,

To guide us to our God.

O haste to follow where it leads,
His gracious call obey!
Be rugged wilds, or flowery meads,
The Christian's destined way.

O gladly tread the narrow path,

While light and grace are given ! For those who follow CHRIST on earth,

Shall reign with Him in Heaven.

49.

HA

7, 6, 7, 6, 7, 6, 7, 6.

AIL to the LORD's Anointed,
Great David's greater Son;
Hail in the time appointed,

His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free;
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

He comes with succour speedy,
To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,

And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.

He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth,
And love, joy, hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth;
Before Him, on the mountains,
Shall peace, the herald, go,
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.

Kings shall fall down before Him,
And gold and incense bring;

IN stature grows the Heavenly Child, With death before His eyes;

A Lamb unblemished, meek and mild, Prepared for sacrifice.

The Son of GOD His glory hides

With parents mean and poor :
And He Who made the heaven abides
In dwelling-place obscure.

Those mighty hands that stay the sky
No earthly toil refuse,
And He Who set the stars on high
A humble trade pursues.

He before Whom the Angels stand,
At Whose behest they fly,

Now yields Himself to man's command,

And lays His glory by.

The FATHER'S Name we loudly raise, The SON we all adore,

The HOLY GHOST, One GOD, we praise.

Both now and evermore.

51.

Amen.

6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5.

LO! the pilgrim Magi

Leave their royal halls, And with love devoutest Bethlehem's lowly walls Seek with eager footsteps: While firm faith, which rests Built on hope unswerving, Triumphs in their breasts.

O what joys ecstatic

Thrilled each heart from far,
When to guide their footsteps
Gleamed the beacon Star,
O'er that home so holy
Pouring down its ray,
In His Mother's bosom
Where the Infant lay.
There no ivory glistens,
Glows no regal gold,
Nor doth gorgeous purple
Those fair limbs enfold;
But His court He keepeth
In a stable bare,
His throne is a manger,
Rags His purple are.
Costly pomps and pageants
Earthly kings array;

He a mightier Monarch,
Hath a nobler sway;
Straw though be His pallet,
Mean His garb may be,
Yet with power transcendent
He all hearts can free.
At His crib they worship
Prostrate on the floor:
And a GOD there present

In that Babe adore;
Let us to that Infant,

We, their offspring, true
Hearts with love o'erflowing
Give our tribute due.
Holiest love presenting
As gold to our King;
To the Man pure bodies
Myrrh-like chastely bring,
Unto Him as incense

Vow and prayer address;
So with offerings meetest
This our GOD confess.

So those on whom is duly poured
The blest baptismal wave,
They too are children of the LORD,
They too may ask and have.
Theirs is the holy purity,

And meekness of the dove;

To them the HOLY GHOST is nigh,
To fill their souls with love.
LORD, since Thou hast removed our
stain

In that most holy flood,
May no fresh sin destroy again
The cleansing of Thy Blood!

Praise to the SoN, through Whom alone

Our stains of guilt are lost; Like praise be to the FATHER done, And to the HOLY GHOST. Amen.

SONGS of thankfulness and praise,
JESU, LORD, to Thee we raise ;
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar ;
Branch of Royal David's stem
In Thy Birth at Bethlehem;
Anthems be to Thee addrest,
GoD in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding-guest
In Thy Godhead manifest,
Manifest in power Divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addrest,
GOD in Man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the Devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addrest,
GOD in Man made manifest.
Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heaven shall flee;
CHRIST Will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious Sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;

own hand

With guiding star from Eastern land,
TO JESUS through Jerusalem
Unto the stall in Bethlehem.
GOD to that Infant bring us too,
That we may be His servants true.

Bright shone the star on all around,
Within it sate a Baby crowned,
A golden Cross His sceptre seemed,
His head with more than sunlight
beamed.

GOD, from Thy throne in heaven afar,
Lighten the world with that same
Star.

Not for one fleeting hour's delay Could Herod check them on their way;

They left the palace fair behind,
And hasted on the stall to find.
GOD, grant us that good path to tread
Till we be numbered with the dead.

When to the manger came the three, They fell in worship on the knee, Then to the Child their gifts unfold, The myrrh, the frankincense, and gold.

GOD, take our gifts in JESU's Name, Heart, body, soul, wealth, blood, and fame.

The Virgin greeted well her guests, And laid her Baby on their breasts, Him thenceforth in their hearts they bore

And sought no other treasure more. GOD, FATHER Which in Heaven art, Lay CHRIST for ever in our heart.