With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

3 Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.

4 Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the Incarnate Deity,
Pleased as Man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel!

5 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.

6 Risen with healing in His wings,
Light and life to all He brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

52

8.7.8.7.8.7.7.

OF the Father's love begotten,

Ere the worlds began to be,

He the Alpha and Omega,

He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!

2 Oh, that ever-blessèd birthday,
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Saviour of our race;
And that Child, the world's Redeemer,
First displayed His sacred face,
Evermore and evermore!

3 Praise Him, O ye heaven of heavens!
Praise Him, angels in the height!
Every power and every virtue
Sing the praise of God aright:
Let no tongue of man be silent,
Let each heart and voice unite,
Evermore and evermore!

4 Thee let age, and Thee let manhood,
Thee let choirs of infants sing;
Thee the matrons and the virgins,
And the children answering :
Let their guileless song re-echo,
And their heart its praises bring,
Evermore and evermore!

5 Christ, to Thee with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving,
And unwearied praises be:

Honor, glory, and dominion,

And eternal victory,

Evermore and evermore!

53

P. M.

HOUT the glad tidings, exultingly sing;
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is king.

1 Sion, the marvellous story be telling,
The Son of the Highest, how lowly His
birth!

The brightest archangel in glory excelling, He stoops to redeem thee, He reigns upon earth.

Shout the glad tidings, etc.

2 Tell how He cometh; from nation to nation The heart-cheering news let the earth echo round:

How free to the faithful He offers salvation, How His people with joy everlasting are crowned:

Shout the glad tidings, etc.

3 Mortals, your homage be gratefully bringing,

And sweet let the gladsome hosanna arise:

Ye angels, the full alleluia be singing; One chorus resound through the earth and the skies:

Shout the glad tidings, etc.

54

C. M.

WHILE shepherds watched their flocks

All seated on the ground,

The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.

2" Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.

3"To you, in David's town, this day
Is born of David's line,

The Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:

4"The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,

All meanly wrapt in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid."

5 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:

6"All glory be to God on high,

And to the earth be peace;

Good-will henceforth from heaven to men Begin and never cease."

55

CALM

C. M.

ALM on the listening ear of night
Come heaven's melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches far

Her silver-mantled plains.

2 Celestial choirs from courts above
Shed sacred glories there;

And angels, with their sparkling lyres,
Make music on the air.

3 The answering hills of Palestine
Send back the glad reply;

And greet, from all their holy heights,
The Day-Spring from on high.

4 O'er the blue depths of Galilee
There comes a holier calm,

And Sharon waves, in solemn praise,
Her silent groves of palm.

5"Glory to God!" the sounding skies
Loud with their anthems ring,
"Peace to the earth, good-will to men,
From heaven's eternal King!"

6 Light on thy hills, Jerusalem!
The Saviour now is born:

More bright on Bethlehem's joyous plains
Breaks the first Christmas morn.

56

10s.

HRISTIANS, awake! salute the happy

CHRI

morn

Whereon the Saviour of mankind was born; Rise to adore the mystery of love

Which hosts of angels chanted from above;
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the Virgin's Son.

2 Then to the watchful shepherds it was told, Who heard the angelic herald's voice: "Behold,

I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth
Το you and all the nations upon earth:
This day hath God fulfilled His promised
word,

This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord." 3 He spake; and straightway the celestial choir

In hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire: The praises of redeeming love they sang, And heaven's whole arch with alleluias rang:

God's highest glory was their anthem still, Peace upon earth, and unto men good-will.

4 To Bethlehem straight the happy shepherds

ran,

To see the wonder God had wrought for

man:

And found, with Joseph and the blessèd

maid,

Her Son, the Saviour, in a manger laid; Amazed the wondrous story they proclaim, The earliest heralds of the Saviour's name.

5 Let us, like these good shepherds, then employ

Our grateful voices to proclaim the joy; Trace we the Babe, Who hath retrieved our loss,

From His poor manger to His bitter cross; Treading His steps, assisted by His grace, Till man's first heavenly state again takes place.