Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

64

The lamp far sages hailed on high,
The tones that thrilled the shepherd-men:
Glory to God in loftiest heaven-

Thus angels smote the echoing chord-
Glad tidings unto man forgiven;

Peace from the presence of the Lord.
2 The shepherds sought that birth divine;
The wise-men traced their guided way;
There, by strange light and mystic sign,
The God they came to worship lay:
A human Babe in beauty smiled,

Where lowing oxen round Him trod;
A Virgin clasped her awful Child,

Pure Offspring of the Breath of God.
3 Those voices from on high are mute;
The star the wise-men saw is dim;
But hope still guides the wand'rer's foot,
And faith renews the angel-hymn:
Glory to God in loftiest heaven-

Touch with glad hand the ancient chord-
Good tidings unto man forgiven:

Peace from the presence of the Lord.

[blocks in formation]

Precious Pearl beyond all price,
Brightest Star in all the skies,
Hail, Lord Jesus.

4 King and Spouse of holy hearts,
Fount of love that ne'er departs,
Sweetest Life, and brightest Day,
Truest Truth, and surest Way
Leading onward to the blest
Sabbath of eternal rest,
Hail, Lord Jesus.

Henry Alford, 1832.

"All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."

65

J

L. M.

ESUS shall reign where'er the sun

Does his successive journeys run;

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 For Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

4 Blessings abound where'er He reigns;
The joyful pris'ner bursts his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,

And all the sons of want are blest.

5 Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more;
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

6 Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King:
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud Amen!

Isaac Watts, 1719.

66

"I am the bright and morning star."
7s, 6 lines.

HRIST, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light;
Sun of righteousness, arise,

Triumph o'er the shades of night:
Day-spring from on high, draw near;
Day-star in our hearts appear.

2 Dark and cheerless is the morn,
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day's return,

Till Thy mercy's beams we see:
Lord, Thy inward light impart,
Cheering each benighted heart.
3 Visit every soul of Thine,

Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill with radiancy divine,

Scatter all our unbelief:

More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

Charles Wesley, 1740.

"By the mystery of Thy holy incarnation: by Thy holy nativity and circumcision: good Lord deliver us.'

67

B

75, 8 lines.

Y the Angel's word of love,

That announced Thee from above;

By Thine Infant Form so fair
Trembling on the midnight air;
Babe of Bethlehem, hear our cry:
Thou wert helpless once as we;
Hear the loving litany

We Thy children sing to Thee.

2 By Thy poor and lowly lot;
By the manger in the grot;
By Thy tender feet and hands
Folded fast in swaddling bands;

Babe of Bethlehem, hear our cry: &c.

3 By the Name which Thou didst take,
Suffering sorely for our sake;

Name of grace and majesty,
Name adored on bended knee;

Word Incarnate, hear our cry: &c.

4 By the joy of Simeon blest,

When he clasped Thee to his breast;
By the widow'd Anna's song,
Poured amid the wondering throng;
Word Incarnate, hear our cry: &c.
5 By the worship shepherds paid;
By the gifts that sages made,
Gold and myrrh and incense sweet,
Laid in homage at Thy feet;

Word Incarnate, hear our cry: &c.

6 By Thine angel-bidden flight
Into Egypt in the night;

By Thy home at Herod's death

In despised Nazareth ;

Word Incarnate, hear our cry: &c.

Frederick W. Faber.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

"They found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors."

[blocks in formation]

3

Gaze on the wondrous Child,

And marvel at His gracious words

Of wisdom undefiled.

Yet not to them is given

The mighty truth to know,

To lift the fleshly veil which hides

Incarnate God below.

4 The secret of the Lord

Escapes each human eye,

And faithful pondering hearts await
The full Epiphany.

5 Lord, visit Thou our souls,

And teach us by Thy grace
Each dim revealing of Thyself
With loving awe to trace;

69

6 Till from our darkened sight
The cloud shall pass away,

And on the cleansed soul shall burst
The everlasting day.

James R. Woodford.

"I am the root and the offspring of David."

H

C. M.

OSANNA to the royal Son
Of David's ancient line!
His natures two, His person one,
Mysterious and divine.

The root of David, here we find,
And offspring is the same;
Eternity and time are joined
In our Immanuel's name.

3 Blest He that comes to wretched men,
With peaceful news from heaven;
Hosannas of the highest strain,

To Christ the Lord be given !

4 Let mortals ne'er refuse to take
The hosanna on their tongues,

Lest rocks and stones should rise, and break
Their silence into songs.

Isaac Watts.

"The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings

[blocks in formation]

OD in His earthly temples lays

G Foundations for His heavenly praise:

He likes the tents of Jacob well;
But still in Zion loves to dwell.

2 His mercy visits every house,

That pays its night and morning vows;
But makes a more delightful stay,
Where churches meet to praise and pray.

3 What glories were described of old!
What wonders are of Zion told!
Thou city of our God below!

Thy fame shall Tyre and Egypt know.

« AnteriorContinuar »