4 O, mighty grace, our life to live,
To make our earth divine!

O, mighty grace, thy heaven to give,
And lift our life to thine!

5 O strange the gifts, and marvellous,
By thee received and given !
Thou tookest woe and death from us,
And we receive thy heaven.

156

193

Feasts and Fasts.

7s M.

For Advent or Christmas.

BOWRING.

1 WATCHMAN! tell us of the night;
What its signs of promise are.
Traveller! o'er yon mountain's height
See that glory-beaming star!
Watchman! does its beauteous ray
Aught of hope or joy foretell?
Traveller yes; it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel!

2 Watchman! tell us of the night;
Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveller! blessedness and light,
Peace and truth, its course portends.
Watchman! will its beams alone

Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveller! ages are its own:

See! it bursts o'er all the earth.

194

3 Watchman! tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveller! darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman! let thy wanderings cease;
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveller, lo! the Prince of peace,
Lo! the Son of God is come!

C. M.

Christmas Hymn.

E. H. SEARS.

1 CALM 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,

195

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

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

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

8 & 7s M.

Christmas Hymn.

CAWOOD.

1 HARK! what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo! the angelic host rejoices;
Heavenly hallelujahs rise.

2 Listen to the wondrous story,

Which they chant in hymns of joy; "Glory in the highest, glory!

Glory be to God most high!"

3 Peace on earth, good-will from heaven,
Reaching far as man is found;
Souls redeemed and sins forgiven;
Loud our golden harps shall sound.

4 "Christ is born, the great anointed;
Heaven and earth his praises sing!

O receive whom God appointed
For your prophet, priest, and king."

196

5 Let us learn the wondrous story
Of our great Redeemer's birth;
Spread the brightness of his glory,
Till it cover all the earth.

7 & 6s M.

Christmas Hymn.

S. S. H. BOOK.

1 HAIL to the Lord's anointed!
Great David's greater son;
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun.
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free;
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

2 Before him, on the mountains,
Shall the herald go;

peace

And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
For him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

3 O'er every foe victorious,

He on his throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest.