With th' angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem.
2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb;
Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail th' incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men t' appear,
Jesus our Immanuel here.
3 Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail, the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings:
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.
4 Come, Desire of nations, come!
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conq'ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head;
Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love!
491 December-p. 8.]
MORTALS, awake, with angels join,
And chant the solemn lay;
Joy, love, and gratitude combine,
To hail th' 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 Swift through the vast expanse it flew And loud the echo roll'd;
The theme, the song, the joy was new,
"Twas more than heaven could hold.
4 Down through the portals of the sky
The impetuous torrent ran;
And angels flew with eager joy
To bear the news to man.
5 With joy the chorus we 'll repeat,
Glory to God on high;
Good will and peace are now complete,
Jesus was born to die."
6 Hail, Prince of life, for ever hail!
Redeemer, Brother, Friend!
Though earth, and time, and life shall fail,
Thy praise shall never end.
7 Hark! the cherubic armies shout,
And glory leads the song:
Good will and peace are heard throughout
Th' harmonious heavenly throng.
492 Tenham-p. 301.] 18th P. M. 10, 5, 11.
OME, let us anew our journey pursue,
Roll round with the year,
And never stand still till the Master appear!
His adorable will let us gladly fulfil,
And our talents improve,
By the patience of hope, and the labour of love. 2 Our life as a dream, our time as a stream, Glides swiftly away;
And the fugitive moment refuses to stay.
The arrow is flown, the moment is gone;
The millennial year
Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here. 3 O that each in the day of his coming may say, "I have fought my way through;
I have finish'd the work thou didst give me to do!" O that each from his Lord may receive the glad word,
"Well and faithfully done!
Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne."
493 Zebulon-p. 187.] 3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.
HE Lord of earth and sky,
The God of ages, praise!
Who reigns enthroned on high,
Ancient of endless days!
Who lengthens out our trials here,
And spares us yet another year.
2 Barren and wither'd trees,
We cumber'd long the ground!
No fruit of holiness
On our dead souls was found;
Yet doth he us in mercy spare
Another and another year.
3 When justice bared the sword,
To cut the fig-tree down,
The pity of the Lord
Cried, "Let it still alone!"
The Father mild inclines his ear,
And spares us yet another year.
4 Jesus, thy speaking blood
From God obtain'd the grace;
Who therefore hath bestow'd
On us a longer space;
Thou didst in our behalf appear,
And lo! we see another year!
5 Then dig about the root,
Break up our fallow ground,
And let our gracious fruit
To thy great praise abound;
O let us all thy praise declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear!
ING to the great Jehovah's praise!
All praise to him belongs:
Who kindly lengthens out our days,
Demands our choicest songs:
His providence hath brought us through
Another various year;
We all with vows and anthems new
Before our God appear.
2 Father, thy mercies past we own,
Thy still continued care:
To thee presenting, through thy Son,
Whate'er we have or are:
Our lips and lives shall gladly show
The wonders of thy love,
While on in Jesus' steps we go
To seek thy face above.
3 Our residue of days or hours,
Thine, wholly thine, shall be;
And all our consecrated powers
A sacrifice to thee;
Till Jesus in the clouds appear
To saints on earth forgiven,
And bring the grand sabbatic year,
The jubilee of heaven.
495 Albany-p. 157.] 1st P. M. 6 lines 8s. THERE is my God, my joy, my hope, The dear Desire of nations, where?
Jesus, to thee my soul looks up,
To thee directs her morning prayer;
And spreads her arms of faith abroad,
T'embrace my hope, my joy, my God!
2 Mine eyes prevent the morning ray,
Looking and longing for thy word:
Come, O my Jesus, come away,
And let my heart receive its Lord;
Which pants and struggles to be free,
And breaks to be detain'd from thee.
3 Appear in me, bright Morning Star,
And scatter all the shades of night!
I saw thee once, and came from far,"
But quickly lost the transient light:
And now again in darkness pine,
Till thou throughout my nature shine.
4 In patient hope I now take heed
To the sure word of promised grace;
Whose rays a feeble lustre shed,
Faint glimm'ring thro' the darksome place,
Till thou thy glorious light impart,
And rise the Day-star in my heart.
5 Come, Lord, be manifested here,
And all the devil's works destroy;
Now, without sin, in me appear,
And fill with everlasting joy;
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