That God is one, eternal, holy, just,
Omnipotent, omniscient, infinite;

Most wise, most good, most merciful and true;
In all perfection most unchangeable :
That man, that every man, of every clime
And hue, of every age and every rank,
Was bad, by nature and by practice bad;
In understanding blind, in will perverse,
In heart corrupt; in every thought, and word,
Imagination, passion, and desire,

Most utterly depraved throughout, and ill
In sight of Heaven, though less in sight of man ;
At enmity with God his Maker born,

And by his very life an heir of death:

That man, that every man, was, further, most
Unable to redeem himself, or pay

One mite of his vast debt to God,-nay, more,
Was most reluctant and averse to be
Redeemed, and sin's most voluntary slave:
That Jesus, Son of God, of Mary born
In Bethlehem, and by Pilate crucified

On Calvary, for man, thus fallen and lost,
Died; and, by death, life and salvation bought,
And perfect righteousness, for all who should
In his great name believe.

POLLOK

THE NATIVITY.

"Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."-MATT. ii. 2.

STAR appeared, and peaceful threw

Around its holy ray;

It caught the faithful Magi's view,

It led the wondrous way,

From far-famed Persia's smiling bowers,
Fair land of beauty, fruits, and flowers.

Each heart throughout the gazing throng
What anxious gladness fills,

While slowly moved that star along
O'er Judah's sacred hills,

And softly fixed its mellow light
On distant Bethlehem's joyful night.

There-unknown to rich and great,
Or the perfumed halls of state,
Where the golden lamps so bright
Mock the silence of the night,
And the strains of music tender

Rise and fall 'mid scenes of splendour,—

The Prince of Peace, so young, so fair,

In lowly state was sleeping;
While near, with kind parental care,
His mother watch was keeping.

The Magi viewed the blessed of Heaven,

Their joy was full-their gifts were given.

Let the sound of the sweet harp of Judah arise!
Let the hymns of the Gentiles ascend to the skies!

CAMPBELL.

THE NATIVITY.

RIGHTEST and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;

Star of the East, the horizon adorning,

Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining,

Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;

Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,

Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion.
Odours of Edom, and offerings divine

Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation;

Vainly with gifts would his favour secure; Richer by far is the heart's adoration;

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,

Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

HEBER.

R

THE NATIVITY.

LUKE ii. 8-14.

ORNE on the sober wings of night,
A song is heard on high;

It cannot be a song of earth,

'Tis music of the sky

A band of bright and holy ones are bringing
Glad tidings down, and full of rapture singing.

What blessed things are in that strain!

'Tis full of joy and love:

Welcome, ye happy sons of light,

With comfort from above;

Ye come to tell us of a great salvation

For sinful men of every tongue and nation.

Ye tell us of a Saviour born:

It is no common birth;

The like hath never yet been seen

Upon this fallen earth,

Wonder of wonders! God hath passed the portal Of heaven's bright kingdom, and become a mortal?

What though in Bethlehem's quiet vale
The Saviour child is born;
We will not turn away in pride,

We will not look with scorn

Upon his birth-place and his guise so lowly,
For here is laid the Wonderful, the Holy.

To yonder simple shepherds came
The sweet angelic lay;

Favoured of heaven, they heard with joy,
And now thay haste away

To see this wondrous sight-the world's Creator
A humble babe arrayed in human nature?

And join we, too, with heavenward soul,
The blessed angel throng;

'Tis ours with one accord to sing

Their glad, triumphal song—

"Glory to God!—the barrier hath been riven; Peace and good-will on earth to men are given!"

REV. J. S. BROAD.

THE NATIVITY.

OR Thou wert born of woman! Thou didst come,

O Holiest ! to this world of sin and gloom,

Not in thy dread omnipotent array;

And not by thunders strewed

Was thy tempestuous road;

Nor indignation burnt before thee on thy way;

But thec, a soft and naked child,

Thy mother undefiled,

In the rude manger laid to rest

From off her virgin breast.

The heavens were not commanded to prepare

A gorgeous canopy of golden air;

Nor stooped their lamps th' enthronéd fire on high:

A single silent star

Came wandering from afar,

Gliding uncheck'd and calm along the liquid sky;

The Eastern Sages leading on,

As at a kingly throne,

To lay their gold and odours sweet

Before thy infant feet.

The Earth and Ocean were not hushed to hear
Bright harmony from every starry sphere;

Nor at thy presence brake the voice of song

From all the cherub choirs

And seraphs' burning lyres,

Poured through the host of heaven the charméd clouds along.

One angel troop the strain began,

Of all the race of man,

By simple shepherds heard alone,

That soft Hosanna's tone.

And when thou didst depart, no car of flame

To bear thee hence in lambent radiance came;

Nor visible angels mourned with drooping plumes: Nor didst thou mount on high

From fatal Calvary,

With all thine own redeemed out-bursting from their tombs.

For thou didst bear away from earth

But one of human birth,

The dying felon by thy side, to be

In Paradise with thee.

Nor o'er thy cross did clouds of vengeance break;

A little while the conscious earth did shake

At that foul deed by her fierce children done;

A few dim hours of day

The world in darkness lay;

Then bask'd in bright repose beneath the cloudless sun;