12

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem."

Christ, by highest Heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate Deity,

Pleased as man with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

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.

L. M.

The Prince of Peace, to sinners given,
The great Redeemer sent from Heaven,
The Virgin-born let all adore,

And spread His Name from shore to shore.

The Word of God, that dwelt on high
With God from all eternity,

Is now confined to life's short span,
Is now a helpless child of man.

Our God is in a manger laid,

Of straw His humble couch is made:
He, who the whole creation feeds,
An earthly Mother's nursing needs.

And see, those Heaven-directing hands
Are now comprest with swaddling bands
Helpless and desolate He lies,

;

That we, through Him, to heaven may rise.
The Father's Name we loudly raise;
The Son, the Virgin-born, we praise;
The Holy Ghost we all adore;

One God, both now and evermore.

13

O come

all ye

faithful

P. M.

Joyfully triumphant;

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem ;

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels:
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

God of God,

Light of Light,

Lo! He abhors not the Virgin's womb;

Very God,

Begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,

Sing, all ye powers of heaven above;
Glory to God

In the highest,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesu, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Late in flesh appearing:
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

14

ST. STEPHEN'S DAY.

First of the martyred throng

To join his Lord above,

P. M.

First to commence the endless song

Of His redeeming love,

God's truth his sword, Christ's faith his shield, The holy Stephen sought the field.

First to obtain a crown,
First-by the mercy seat

To lay the blood-bought trophy down
At its own Owner's feet,

Through the grave-gates his Saviour burst,
He homeward, heavenward, entered first.

Men thought the sufferer dead,
And triumph high they kept;
But on his blood-stained, stony bed,
The Saint serenely slept;

Wrapped in the banner of the Cross,
His all the gain-theirs all the loss.

Lord, grant Thy grace, that we,
Whate'er our lot may prove,
May learn his high fidelity,

His deep forgiving love;

The boldness that dare part with life,
And yet be gentle in the strife.

Also Hymn 40.

HOLY INNOCENTS DAY.

15

79.

Lovely flowers of martyrs, hail!
Smitten by the tyrant foe
On life's threshold-as the gale
Strews the roses ere they blow.

First to die for Christ, sweet lambs !
At the very altar ye,

16

THE END OF THE OLD YEAR.

With your martyr-crowns and palms,
Sport in your simplicity.

Glory to the God of Heaven-
To the Father, to the Son,
To the Holy Ghost-be given,
One in Three, and Three in One.

L. M.

Bethlehem, above all cities blest!
The Incarnate Saviour's earthly rest,
Where in His manger safe He lay,
By angels guarded night and day.
Bethlehem, of cities most forlorn,
Where in the dust sad mothers mourn,
Nor see the heavenly glory shed
On each pale infant's martyred head.
Tis ever thus: who Christ would win,
Must in the school of woe begin ;
And still the nearest to His grace
Know least of their own glorious place.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Be honour, praise and glory given,
By all on earth, and all in heaven.

THE END OF THE OLD YEAR.

17

Eternity! eternity!

How long art thou, eternity!

L. M.