And hark! the angels through the lofty sky Their praises to his name afford; All glory they ascribe to God on high! Oh, come ye, and sing praises to the Lord! Oh, Jesu Virgin-born! thy name shall be, OR THIS. HIGH let us swell our tuneful notes, Good-will to sinful man is shown, Justice and grace, in sweet accord, Let heaven and earth in concert join, Glory to God, in highest strains, When shall we reach those blissful realms, Where Christ exalted reigns, And learn of the celestial choir EVENSONG. (Jesu, redemptor omnium. No. 43.) JESUS, thou holy Son of God, Thou friend to sinful man, Who madest in heaven thy bright abode,; Before the world began, Thou, Lord, our chiefest glory art, Our only refuge thou: Prayer is the incense of our heart; Accept that incense now. The likeness, Lord, thou didst assume That we, thy ransomed saints, might come Oh! then, thy work of grace begin, And when begun, maintain; So let the land, the sea, the sky, And we, to whom thou camest on earth, Eternal life to bring, On this, the season of thy birth, Thy wondrous love will sing. OR THIS. HARK, the herald angels sing, Join the triumph of the skies, Hark, the herald angels sing, Christ, by highest heaven adored, Pleased as man with men to appear, Jesus our Immanuel here. Hark, the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! E Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace, ST. STEPHEN'S DAY. (Quid, obstinata pectora. No. 44.) Aн, wherefore do the impious Jews Again their God defy? Their holy teacher they refuse, At him they dare, with ruthless hands, To cast the murderous stone, While Saul, their chief, insulting stands, And makes their crime his own. But, lo! before the martyr's eye Thus ever thou wilt give thy might Oh! Stephen's was a glorious death, For even then his ardent mind, The Father's name we loudly raise, The Holy Ghost, one God, we praise, ST. JOHN'S DAY. (Jussu tyranni pro fide. No. 45.) BELOVED disciple of thy Lord, Wast thou to exile driven? He that was dead, and is alive, The Lamb, for sinners slain. |