Traveller! lo! the Prince of Peace,
Lo! the Son of God, is come.

221.

C. M.

The guiding Star.

SPIRIT OF THE PSALMS.

1 BRIGHT was the guiding star, that led,
With mild, benignant ray,
The Gentiles to the lowly bed
Where our Redeemer lay.

2 But, lo! a brighter, clearer light
Now points to his abode;

It shines through sin and sorrow's night,
To guide us to our Lord.

3 0, haste to follow where it leads;
The gracious cali obey,

Be rugged wilds, or flowery meads,
The Christian's destined way.

4 O, gladly tread the narrow path,
While light and grace are given;
Who meekly follow Christ on earth
Shall reign with him in heaven.

222.

7s. M.

Birth of Christ.

SPIRIT OF THE PSALM

1 HAIL, all hail the joyful morn!
Tell it forth from earth to heaven,
That to us a child is born,

That to us a son is given.

2 Angels, bending from the sky,
Chanted at the wondrous birth;
"Glory be to God on high,

Peace, good-will to man on earth."

3 Join we then our feeble lays
To the chorus of the sky;
And, in songs of grateful praise,
Glory give to God on high.

223.

C. M.

S. W. LIVERMORE

The Coming of Christ.

1 GLORY to God, and peace on earth,
Was once by angels sung ;
Glad tidings of a Saviour's birth

Through plains of Bethlehem rung.

2 He came to make the feeble strong,
To heal the deaf and blind,

To give the dumb the voice of song,
And free the captive mind.

3 He came the light of life to show,
The true and living way ;

Where streams of joy unceasing flow,
And lead to endless day.

4 Glory to God! the gospel's sound
Our churches echo still;

Spread it, O Lord, the world around,
And with its spirit fill.

5 Glory to God! our hearts acclaim;

O, haste the happy time,

When songs

224.

shall sound the Saviour's name

O'er every distant clime.

7s. M.

Christmas.

1 WHEN in silence, o'er the deep,
Darkness kept its deathlike sleep;
Soon as God his mandate spoke,
Light in wondrous beauty broke.
2 But a beam of holier light
Gilded Bethlehem's lonely night,
When the glory of the Lord,
Mercy's sunlight, shone abroad.

M. W. HALE.

3 "Peace on earth, good-will to men,'
Burst the glorious anthem then ;

Angels, bending from above,
Joined that strain of holy love.
4 Floating o'er the waves of time,
Comes to us that song sublime,
Bearing to the pilgrim's ear,

Words to soothe, sustain, and cheer.
5 For creation's blessed light,
Praise to thee, thou God of might! ·
Seraph-strains thy name should bless
For the Sun of Righteousness!

1 O, LET your mingling voices rise,
In grateful rapture, to the skies,
And hail a Saviour's birth:
Let songs of joy the day proclaim,
When Jesus all-triumphant came
To bless the sons of earth.

2 He came to bid the weary rest,
To heal the sinner's wounded breast,
To bind the broken heart,

To spread the light of truth around,
And to the world's remotest bound
The heavenly gift impart.

3 He came our trembling souls to save
From sin, from sorrow, and the grave,
And chase our fears away;
Victorious over death and time,
To lead us to a happier clime,
Where reigns eternal day.

226.

H. M.

The Song of Angels.

SALISBURY C

1 HARK! what celestial sounds,

What music fills the air!

Soft warbling to the morn,
It strikes the ravished ear :

Now all is still;

Now wild it floats,

In tuneful notes,

Loud, sweet, and shrill.

2 Th' angelic hosts descend,
With harmony divine:

See how from heaven they bend,
And in full chorus join:

"Fear not," say they ;

"Great joy we bring :

Jesus, your King,
Is born to-day."

3 He comes your souls to save
From death's eternal gloom;
To realms of bliss and light
He lifts you from the tomb :

Your voices raise,

With sons of light;

Your songs unite
Of endless praise.

4 Glory to God on high!

Ye mortals spread the sound,
And let your raptures fly

1 WHEN, marshalled on the nightly plain,
The glittering host bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train

Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.

2 Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks,
It is the Star of Bethlehem !

3 Once on the raging seas I rode ;

The storm was loud, the night was dark;

The ocean yawned, and rudely blowed The wind that tossed my foundering bark. 4 Deep horror then my vitals froze;

Death-struck, I ceased the tide to stem;
When suddenly a star arose,

It was the Star of Bethlehem.

5 It was my guide, my light, my all;
It bade my dark forebodings cease;
And, through the storm and danger's thrall,
It led me to the port of peace.

6 Now, safely moored, my perils o'er,
I'll sing, first in night's diadem,

For ever, and for evermore,

The Star- the Star of Bethlehem !

A Light to lighten the Gentiles.

1 THE race that long in darkness pined
Have seen a glorious light;

The people dwell in day, who dwelt
In death's surrounding night.

2 To hail thy rise, thou better Sun,
The gathering nations come,
With joy, as when the reapers bear
The harvest treasures home.

3 To us a child of hope is born,
To us a son is given;

And him shall all the earth obey,
And all the hosts of heaven.

WESLES

4 His power increasing still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know ;

His throne shall justice guard above,
And peace abound below.