2

The Saviour Christ is born,

And angels sing his birth:

We'll join the bright seraphic throng,
We'll share there joys, and swell their song.

Now sing of peace divine,

Sing of goodwill to man;

No wisdom, Lord, but thine,
Could form the gracious plan;
Could find a way to save the lost,
Thyself not ceasing to be just.
3 Give praise to God on high,
With angels round the throne;
Give praise to God with joy,
Give praise to God alone:

'Tis meet his saints their songs should raise, And give the Saviour endless praise.

526

1

THE

PSALM ciii. 8-12.

HE Lord abounds with tender love,
And unexampled acts of grace;
His wakened wrath doth slowly move,
His willing mercy flies apace.

2 God will not always harshly chide,
But with his anger quickly part;
And still his punishments will guide
More by his love than our desert.

3 As high as heaven its arch extends,
Above this little spot of clay,

So much his boundless love transcends
The small returns that we can pay.

L. M.

527

PSALM CXlV.

C. M.

1 THE Lord is great; and greatly ought His name to be adored;

He rises high o'er mortal thought

The dread Eternal Lord.

2 The Lord is good; his acts of grace
Beyond our wishes rise;

His anger moves with slowest pace,
His willing mercy flies.

3 How holy is the Lord, how just!
How righteous all his ways!
How nigh to him whose humble trust
For heavenly succour prays!

4 His stedfast throne, from changes free,
Shall stand forever fast;

And they that serve him here shall see
His glorious heaven at last.

528

1

THE

MATTHEW Xxvii. 27-31.

LUKE Xxiii. 32-36. JOHN xix. 16-18.
HE Lord is in the soldiers' hall,
Within the ruthless ring;
Before him they in mockery fall
To hail Judea's king.

2 A crimson robe is o'er him cast,
He wears a crown of thorns;
A reed within his fingers placed
Is like a sceptre borne.

C. M.

3 The scourge has made his shoulders bleed, The thorn has torn his brow;

His head is beaten with the reed,
They spit upon him now.

4 And then the insulting laugh went round,
Hail King of Judah, hail:
While hell triumphant at the sound
Seemed that day to prevail.

5 His foes are numerous and strong
And he is doomed to die;
They make him drag his cross along
The road to Calvary.

6 And now they reach the fatal spot
Where two who near him stand,
His equals seem with equal lot,
A thief on either hand.

7 They laid him on the extended tree,
They nailed him to the wood;
And lifted high on Calvary

The cross thus burdened stood.

8 His back and brow are bathed in blood
And he is nailed and bound;
His blood is trickling down the wood
And dropping on the ground.

9 Yet hear his words, although he bleeds
And they are mocking too,
"Father, forgive their wicked deeds,
They know not what they do."

10 O Saviour didst thou pardon thus
Those who so wronged thee then,

So thou can'st also pardon us
Though we are sinful men.

11 We do renounce each wicked way,
We mourn each sinful deed;
Blessed Saviour pardon us we pray,
And for us also plead.

529

1

THE

REVELATION xix. 6.

HE Lord is King; lift up thy voice,
O earth, and all ye heavens rejoice;
From world to world the joy shall ring,
The Lord Omnipotent is King.

2 The Lord is King; who then shall dare
Resist his will, distrust his care,
Or murmur at his wise decrees,
Or doubt his faithful promises?

3 The Lord is King; Tbou child of dust,
The Judge of all the earth is just :
Holy and true are all his ways,
Let every creature speak his praise.

4 He reigns; ye saints, exalt your strains,
Your God is King, your Father reigns;
And he is at the Father's side,

The Lamb of God, the crucified.

5 Oh, when his wisdom can mistake,
His might decay, his love forsake,
Then may his children cease to sing,
The Lord Omnipotent is King.

L. M.

6 One Lord, one empire, all secures ;
He reigns, and life and death are yours:
Through earth and heaven one song shall ring,
The Lord Omnipotent is King.

530

TH

HE Lord is our refuge, the Lord is our guide; We smile upon danger with him at our side; The billows may blacken, the tempest increase, Tho' earth may be shaken, his saints shall have peace.

2 A voice still and small by his people is heard, A whisper of peace from his life-giving word; A stream in the desert, a river of love, [above. Flows down to their hearts from the fountain 3 Be near us, Redeemer, to shield us from ill; Speak thou but the word, & the tempest is still; Thy presence to cheer us, thy arm to defend, The weak becomes mighty with thee for a friend. 4 The Lord is our helper; ye careless, be awed ; Ye scoffers be still, and acknowledge your God; The proud he will humble, the lowly defend; Oh, happy the people with God for a friend.

531

1

LUKE Xxiv. 34.

THE
HE Lord is risen indeed,

We know the tidings true,

Those who beheld the Saviour bleed,
Beheld him living too.

S. M.