BLESSINGS OF CHRIST'S ADVENT. S. M.
RAISE your triumphant songs
To an immortal tune,
Let the wide earth resound the deeds
Celestial grace has done.
2 Sing how eternal Love
Its chief Beloved chose,
And bade him raise our wretched race
From their abyss of woes.
3 His hand no thunder bears,
Nor terror clothes his brow;
No bolts to drive our guilty soul
To fiercer flames below.
4 'Twas mercy filled the throne,
And wrath stood silent by,
When Christ was sent with pardons down,
To rebels doomed to die.
5 Now, sinners, dry your tears,
Let hopeless sorrow cease;
Bow to the sceptre of his love,
And take the offered peace.
6 Lord, we obey thy call;
We lay an humble claim
To the salvation thou hast brought,
And love and praise thy name.
176 SONG OF ANGELS AT THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST. C. M.
ORTALS, awake, with angels join,
And chant the solemn lay;
Joy, love and gratitude combine
To hail the auspicious day.
2 In heaven the rapturous song began,
And sweet seraphic fire
Through all the shining legions ran,
And strung and tuned the lyre.
3 Down through the portals of the sky
The impetuous torrent ran:
And angels flew with eager joy,
To bear the news to man.
4 Hark! the cherubic armies shout,
And glory leads the song:
Good will and peace are heard throughout
The harmonious angel-throng.
5 0 for a glance of heavenly love,
Our hearts and songs to raise ;
Sweetly to bear our souls above,
And mingle with their lays.
6 With joy the chorus we'll repeat,
Glory to God on high!
Good will and peace are now complete;
Jesus was born to die."
JOY FOR THE INCARNATION.
ARK! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
2 Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumphs of the skies,
With the angelic hosts proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem !"
3 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
4 Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Lo! the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to appear,
Jesus our Immanuel here.
5 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.
6 Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
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 redeemed 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!
6 Let us learn the wondrous story
Of our great Redeemer's birth,
Spread the brightness of his glory,
Till it cover all the earth.
DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST. L. M.
ERE the blue heavens were stretched abroad,
From everlasting was the Word;
With God he was; the Word was God,
And must divinely be adored.
2 By his own power were all things made;
By him supported all things stand;
He is the whole creation's head,
And angels fly at his command.
3 But lo! he leaves those heavenly forms,
The Word descends and dwells in clay,
That he may converse hold with worms,
Dressed in such feeble flesh as they.
4 Mortals with joy beheld his face,
The eternal Father's only Son:
How full of truth, how full of grace,
The brightness of the Godhead shone!
5 The angels leave their high abode,
To learn new mysteries here, and tell
The love of our descending God,
The glories of Immanuel.
THE DEITY AND GLORY OF CHRIST. 8s & 78.
LORD of every land and nation,
Ancient of eternal days,
Sounded through the wide creation,
Be thy just and awful praise.
2 For the grandeur of thy nature,
Grand beyond a seraph's thought;
For created works of power,
Works with skill and kindness wrought;
3 For thy providence, that governs
Through thine empire's wide domain;
Wings an angel, guides a sparrow;
Blessed be thy gentle reign.
4 But thy rich, thy free redemption,
Dark through brightness all along;
Thought is poor, and poor expression:
Who can sing that awful song?
5 Brightness of the Father's glory,
Shall thy praise unuttered lie?
Fly, my tongue, such guilty silence;
Sing the Lord, who came to die.
6 Did the angels sing thy coming?
Did the shepherds learn their lays ?
Shame would cover me ungrateful,
Should my tongue refuse to praise.
7 From the highest throne in glory,
To the cross of deepest woe;
All to ransom guilty captives!
Flow, my praise, for ever flow.
8 Go, return, immortal Saviour,
Leave thy footstool, take thy throne;
Thence return, and reign for ever;
Be the kingdom all thy own.
181 GOD THE SON EQUAL WITH THE FATHER. L. M.
BRIGHT King of glory, dreadful God,
Our spirits bow before thy seat;
To thee we lift a humble thought,
And worship at thine awful feet.
2 Thy power has formed, thy wisdom sways
All nature with a sovereign word;
And the bright world of stars obeys
The will of their superior Lord.
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