5 He comes, the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,

And with the treasures of his grace
To enrich the humble poor.

6 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heaven's eternal arches ring
With thy beloved name.

197

C. M.

WATTS.

Christ's first and second Coming. Ps. 96.

1 SING to the Lord, ye distant lands,
Ye tribes of every tongue;
His new-discovered grace demands
A new and nobler song.

2 Let heaven proclaim the joyful day,
Joy through the earth be seen;
Let cities shine in bright array,
And fields in cheerful green.

3 Let an unusual joy surprise
The islands of the sea;

Ye mountains, sink; ye valleys, rise;
Prepare the Lord his way.

4 Behold, he comes; he comes to bless
The nations from their God,

To show the world his righteousness,
And send his truth abroad.

5 But when his voice shall raise the dead,
And bid the world draw near,
How will the guilty nations dread
To see their Judge appear!

DODDRIDGE.

Christ the Root of David, and the Morning Star

1 ALL hail, mysterious King!

Hail, David's ancient root!

Thou righteous branch, which thence didst spring

To give the nations fruit.

2 Our weary souls shall rest
Beneath thy grateful shade;
Our thirsting lips salvation taste;
Our fainting hearts are glad.

3 Fair morning star, arise,

With living glories bright,
And pour on these awakening eyes
A flood of sacred light.

4 The horrid gloom is fled,

Pierced by thy beauteous ray;
Shine, and our wandering footsteps lead
To everlasting day.

199

L. M.

The Virgin Mary's Song.

WATI

1 OUR souls shall magnify the Lord;
In God the Savior we rejoice;
While we repeat the virgin's song,
May the same spirit tune our voice

2 To those that fear and trust the Lord
His mercy stands forever sure;
From age to age his promise lives,
And the performance is secure.

3 He spake to Abram and his seed
"In thee shall all the earth be blest;'
The memory of that ancient word
Lay long in his eternal breast.

4 But now no more shall Israel wait,
No more the Gentiles lie forlorn;
Lo, the Desire of nations comes!
Behold, the promised Seed is born!

1 NOW be the God of Israel blessed,
Who makes his truth appear ;
His mighty hand fulfils his word,
And all the oaths he sware.

WATTS.

2 Now he bedews old David's root
With blessings from the skies;
He makes the branch of promise grow,
The promised Horn arise.

3"Be every vale exalted high,

Sink every mountain low;

The proud must stoop, and humble souls
Shall his salvation know.

4 "The heathen realms with Israel's land
Shall join in sweet accord,
And all that's born of man shall see
The glory of the Lord.

5 "Behold the Morning Star arise,
Ye that in darkness sit;

He marks the path that leads to peace,
And guides our doubtful feet."

201

7s M.

The Day-Spring from on high.

BULFINCH.

1 TOILING through the livelong night,
Faint, uncertain of his way,
How the traveller hails the light,
Herald of the coming day!

2 Thus, when fraud and rapine threw
O'er the world their cloud afar,
On the good man's raptured view
Broke the dawn of Judah's star.

3 Tears of joy and gratitude

Hailed the Baptist's natal morn,
For the heavenly light renewed,
For another prophet born; -

4 Born to go before the face

Of Judea's Savior-King;
Tidings of celestial grace
To the mourning land to bring.
5 Thus began the song of praise,
For the day-spring's earliest ray ;
How should we the anthem raise
For the gospel's perfect day!

202

C. M.

WATTS.

The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom. Ps. 98.

1 JOY to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let

every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing.

2 Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ,

While fields, and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy.

3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.

1 BEHOLD, the grace appears;

The promise is fulfilled;

Mary, the wondrous virgin, bears,
And Jesus is the child.

2 To bring the glorious news

A heavenly form appears;

WATTS.

He tells the shepherds of their joys,
And banishes their fears.

3 "Go, humble swains," said he,
"To David's city fly;

The promised Infant, born to-day,
Doth in a manger lie.

4" With looks and heart serene,

"Go visit Christ your King;

And straight a flaming troop was seen;
The shepherds heard them sing,-