'WHAT means this glory round our feet,'
The magi mused, 'more bright than morn?'
And voices chanted clear and sweet,
'To-day the Prince of Peace is born.'
'What means that star,' the shepherds said,
'That brightens through the rocky glen?'
And angels, answering overhead,
Sang, 'Peace on earth, goodwill to men.'
'Tis eighteen hundred years and more
Since those sweet oracles were dumb;
We wait for Him like them of yore;
Alas, He seems so slow to come.
But it was said in words of gold,
No time or sorrow e'er shall dim,
That little children might be bold,
In perfect trust to come to Him.
All round about our feet shall shine
A light like that the wise men saw,
If we our willing hearts incline
To that sweet Life which is the Law.
So shall we learn to understand
The simple faith of shepherds then,
And kindly clasping hand in hand,
Sing, 'Peace on earth, goodwill to men,'
For they who to their childhood cling,
And keep their natures fresh as morn,
Once more shall hear the angels sing,
To-day the Prince of Peace is born.'
STILL the night, holy the night!
Sleeps the world! yet the light
Shines where Mary watches there
Her child Jesus sweet and fair.
Sleeping in heavenly rest;
Sleeping in heavenly rest.
Still the night, holy the night!
Shepherds first told aright
How the Angel-Hallelujah
Rang so loud from near and far;
Jesus, a Saviour, is born;
Jesus, a Saviour, is born.
Still the night, holy the night!
Little Child, O how bright
Love is smiling from thy face!
Now there strikes the hour of grace;
Jesus, our Master, is here;
Jesus, our Master, is here.
German, tr. S. A. Brooke.
As shadows, cast by cloud and sun,
Flit o'er the summer grass,
So, in thy sight, Almighty One,
Earth's generations pass.
And while the years, an endless host,
Come pressing swiftly on,
The brightest names that earth can boast
Just glisten, and are gone.
Yet doth the star of Bethlehem shed
A lustre pure and sweet ;
And still it leads, as once it led,
To the Messiah's feet.
O Father, may that holy star
Grow every year more bright,
And send its glorious beams afar
To fill the world with light.
A THOUSAND years have come and gone,
And near a thousand more,
Since happier light from heaven shone
Than ever shone before;
And in the hearts of old and young
A joy most joyful stirred,
That sent such news from tongue to tongue
As ears had never heard.
And we are glad, and we will sing,
As in the days of yore;
Come all, and hearts made ready-bring
To welcome back once more
The day when first on wintry earth
A summer change began,
And dawning in a lowly birth
Uprose the Light of man.
For trouble such as men must bear
From childhood to fourscore,
Christ shared with us, that we might share
His joy for evermore;
And twice a thousand years of strife,
Of conflict, and of sin,
May tell how large the harvest-sheaf
His patient love shall win.
IMMORTAL by their deed and word
Like light around them shed,
Still speak the prophets of the Lord,
Still live the sainted dead.
The voice of old by Jordan's flood
Yet floats upon the air;
We hear it in beatitude,
In parable and prayer.
And still the beauty of that life
Shines star-like on our way,
And breathes its calm amid the strife
And burden of to-day.
Earnest of life for evermore,
That life of duty here,-
The trust that in the darkest hour
Looked forth and knew no fear.
Spirit of Jesus, still speed on,
Speed on thy conquering way,
Till every heart the Father own,
And all his will obey.
JESUS, by thy simple beauty,
By thy depth of love unknown,
We are drawn to earnest duty,
We come near the Father's throne.
When we read the thrilling pages
Of that life so pure and true,
Stars of hope across the ages,
Rise in glory on our view.
Faith and hope and love shine o'er us,
Make our daily lives divine;
Friend and Brother gone before us,
Be our thoughts and deeds like thine.
Thanks for ever, heavenly Father,
That when human eyes grow dim,
And when shadows darkly gather,
Shines a holy light through Him.
WHEN the Lord of Love was here,
Happy hearts to Him were dear,
Though his heart was sad;
Worn and lonely for our sake,
Yet He turned aside to make
All the weary glad.
Meek and lowly were his ways,
From his loving grew his praise,
From his giving, prayer :
All the outcasts thronged to hear,
All the sorrowful drew near
To enjoy his care.
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