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From the earth's vast hollow womb
Music's deepest bass shall come,

Sea and floods from shore to shore
Shall the counter-tenor roar.

To this concert, when we sing,
Whistling winds, your descant bring:
Which may bear the sound above
Where the orb of fire doth move;
And so climb from sphere to sphere,
Till our song th' Almighty hear.

So shall He from heaven's high tower
On the earth His blessing shower;
All this huge wide orb we see
Shall one choir, one temple be;

There our voices we will rear
Till we fill it everywhere:

And enforce the fiends that dwell

In the air, to sink to hell.

Then, oh come, with sacred lays!
Let us sound th' Almighty's praise.

Advent Hymn.

PHILLIP DOddridge.

HARK the glad sound! the Saviour comes,

The Saviour promised long:

Let every heart prepare a throne,

And every voice a song.

He comes, the prisoners to release

In Satan's bondage held;

The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.

Christmas Day.

He comes, from thickest films of vice

To clear the mental ray,

And on the eyeballs of the blind
To pour celestial day.

He comes, the broken hearts to bind,
The bleeding souls to cure,

And with the treasures of His grace
To bless the humble poor.

Our glad hosannahs, Prince of Peace,
Thine advent shall proclaim;
And heaven's eternal arches ring
With Thy beloved Name.

Christmas Day.

SAMUEL RICHARDS.

'HOUGH rude winds usher thee, sweet day,

TH

Though clouds thy face deform,

Though nature's grace is swept away

Before thy sleety storm;

E'en in thy sombrest wintry vest,

Of blessed days thou art most blest.

Nor frigid air nor gloomy morn

Shall check our jubilee;

Bright is the day when Christ was born,
No sun need shine but He:

Let roughest storms their coldest blow
With love of Him our hearts shall glow.

247

Inspired with high and holy thought,
Fancy is on the wing;

It seems as to mine ear it brought
Those voices carolling,—

Voices through heaven and earth that ran,
Glory to God, goodwill to man!

I sce the shepherds gazing wild
At those fair sprites of light;
I see them bending o'er the child
With that untold delight

Which marks the face of those who view

Things but too happy to be true.

There, in the lowly manger laid,
Incarnate God they see;

He stoops to take, through spotless maid,
Our frail humanity.

Son of high God, creation's Heir

He leaves His heaven to raise us there!

Through Him, Lord, we are born anew,

Thy children once again;

Oh, day by day our hearts renew,
That Thine we may remain,

And, angel-like, may all agree,

One sweet and holy family.

Oft as this joyous morn doth come
To speak our Saviour's love,
Oh, may it bear our spirits home,

Where He now reigns above;

That day which brought Him from the skies, And man restores to Paradise!

Christ the Lord is Born To-day.

Then let winds usher thee, sweet day,
Let clouds thy face deform
Though nature's grace is swept away
Before thy sleety storm;

E'en in thy sombrest wintry vest,
Of blessed days thou art most blest.

249

Christ the Lord is Born To-day,

REV. CHARLES WESLEY.

HARK! how all the welkin rings

Glory to the King of kings!

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

Universal nature say,

Christ the Lord is born to-day!

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 to appear,

Jesus, our Immanuel here!

Hail! the heavenly 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.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home!
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent's head!
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruin'd nature now restore,
Now in mystic union join

Thine to ours, and ours to Thine!

Adam's likeness, Lord, efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love!

Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the Heavenly Man:

Oh, to all Thyself impart,

Form'd in each believing heart!

THE

The Prince of Peace.

JOHN MORRISON.

HE race that long in darkness pined
Have seen a glorious Light;

The people dwell in Day, who dwelt

In Death's surrounding night.

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