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How little yet they knew, how much was learned in vain. For human guilt and mortal wo,

Their sympathising sorrows flow;

Their hallowed prayers ascend in incense pure;

They mourned the narrow bounds assigned
To the keen glances of the searching mind,
They mourned the ills they could not cure,
They mourned the doubts they could not clear,
They mourned that prophet yet, nor seer,
The great Eternal had made known,

Or reached the lowest step of that immortal throne.

And oft the starry cope of heaven beneath,

When day's tumultuous sounds had ceased to breathe,
With fixed feet, as rooted there,

Through the long night they drew the chilly air;
While sliding o'er their head,

In solemn silence dread,

The ethereal orbs their shining course pursued,

In holy trance enwrapt the sages stood,

With folded arms laid on their reverend breast, And to that Heaven they knew, their orisons addrest.

A Star appears they marked its kindling beam
O'er night's dark breast unusual splendours stream:
The lesser lights that deck the sky,

In wondering silence softly gliding by,

At the fair stranger seemed to gaze,

Or veiled their trembling fires, and half withdrew their rays.

The blameless men the wonder saw,

And hailed the joyful sign with pious awe;

They knew 'twas none of all the train

With which in shadowy forms and shapes uncouth,
Monsters of earth and of the main,

Remote from nature as from truth,

Their learned pens the sky had figured o'er:
No star with such kind aspect shone before;
Nor e'er did wandering planet stoop so low
To guide benighted pilgrims through this vale of wo.

The heavenly impulse they obey,

The new-born light directs their way;

Through deserts never marked by human tread,
And billowy waves of loose unfaithful sand,

O'er many an unknown hill and foreign strand
The silver clue unerring led,

And peopled towns they pass, and glittering spires;

No cloud could veil its light, no sun could quench its fires.

Thus passed the venerable pilgrims on,

Till Salem's stately towers before them shone,

And soon their feet her hallowed pavements prest;
Not in her marble courts to rest,-

From pomp and royal state aloof,

Their shining guide its beams withdrew;
And points their path, and points their view,
To Bethlehem's rustic cots, to Mary's lowly roof.
There the bright sentinel kept watch,

While other stars arose and set;

For there, within its humble thatch,

Weakness and power, and heaven and earth were met.

Now, sages, now your search give o'er,

Believe, fall prostrate, and adore!

Here spread your spicy gifts, your golden offerings here;
No more the fond complaint renew

Of human guilt and mortal wo,

Of knowledge check'd by doubt, and hope with fear :
What angels wished to see, ye view;

What angels wished to learn, ye know ;

Peace is proclaimed to man, and heaven begun below.

CAMPBELL.

When Jordan hushed his waters still,
And silence slept on Zion-hill;
When Bethl'hem's shepherds through the
night,

See, Mercy from her golden urn

Pours a rich stream to them that mourn!
Behold, she binds with tender care,
The bleeding bosom of despair!

He comes! to cheer the trembling heart,

Watch'd o'er their flocks by starry-light: Bids Satan and his host depart;

Hark! from the midnight hills around,
A voice of more than mortal sound,
In distant hallelujahs stole,
Wild murm'ring o'er the raptur'd soul.

Then swift to every startled eye,
New streams of glory light the sky;
Heav'n bursts her azure gates to pour
Her spirits to the midnight hour.

On wheels of light, on wings of flame,
The glorious hosts of Zion came;
High heav'n with songs of triumph rung
While thus they struck their harps and
sung:-

O Zion! lift thy raptur'd eye,
The long-expected hour is nigh;
The joys of nature rise again,

The Prince of Salem comes to reign.

Again the Day-star gilds the gloom,
Again the bow'rs of Eden bloom!

O Zion! lift thy raptur'd eye,
The long-expected hour is nigh;
The joys of nature rise again,
The Prince of Salem comes to reign.

HEBER.

BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of the

morning!

Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

Cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining,
Low lies his head with the beasts of the

stall,

Angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield him in costly devotion,
Odours of Edom, and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the

ocean,

THE STAR OF THE MORNING.

ANON.

STAR of the morn, whose placid ray
Beam'd mildly o'er yon sacred hill,
While whisp'ring zephyrs seem'd to say,
As silence slept and earth was still,

Myrrh of the forest, or gold from the mine? Hail, harbinger of gospel light!

Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gifts would his favour secure :
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of the
morning!

Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
H. K. WHITE.

WHEN marshall'd on the nightly plain,
The glittering host bestud the sky;
One Star alone, of all the train,

Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.

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.

Once on the raging seas I rode,

The storm was loud,-the night was dark, The ocean yawn'd-and rudely blow'd

The wind that tossed my foundering bark.

Deep horror then my vitals froze,

Death-struck, I ceas'd the tide to stem; When suddenly a star arose;

It was the Star of Bethlehem.

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

Now safely moor'd-my perils o'er,
I'll sing, first in night's diadem,
For ever and for evermore,

The Star-the Star of Bethlehem!

Dispel the shades of nature's night!

I saw thee rise on Salem's tow'rs,
I saw thee shine on gospel lands,
And Gabriel summon'd all his pow'rs,
And waked to ecstacy his bands;
Sweet cherubs hail'd thy rising ray,
And sang the dawn of gospel day!

Shine, lovely star! on ev'ry clime,
For bright thy peerless beauties be;
Gild with thy beam the wing of time,
And shed thy rays from sea to sea;
Then shall the world from darkness rise,
Millennial glories cheer our eyes!

UPON THE CIRCUMCISION.

MILTON.

YE flaming powers, and winged warriors
bright,

That erst with music, and triumphant song,
First heard by happy, watchful shepherd's

ear,

So sweetly sung your joy the clouds along
Through the soft silence of the listening night;
Now mourn; and, if sad share with us to
bear

Your fiery essence can distil no tear,
Burn in your sighs, and borrow
Seas wept from our deep sorrow:
He, who with all heaven's heraldry whilere
Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us ease
Alas, how soon our sin

Sore doth begin

His infancy to seize !

O more exceeding love, or law more just ?
Just law indeed, but more exceeding love!
For we, by rightful doom remediless,
Were lost in death, till he, that dwelt above,
High-throned in secret bliss, for us frail dust
Emptied his glory, even to nakedness;

And that great covenant which we still

transgress

Entirely satisfied;

And the full wrath beside

Of vengeful justice bore for our excess; And seals obedience first, with wounding smart,

This day; but, O! ere long,
Huge pangs and strong

Will pierce more near his heart.

CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE.

HEBER.

ABASH'D be all the boast of Age! Be hoary Learning dumb! Expounder of the mystic page, Behold an Infant come!

Oh Wisdom, whose unfading power

Beside th' Eternal stood,

To frame, in nature's earliest hour, The land, the sky, the flood;--

Yet didst not Thou disdain awhile An infant form to wear;

To bless thy mother with a smile, And lisp thy falter'd prayer.

But, in thy father's own abode,

With Israel's elders round, Conversing high with Israel's God, Thy chiefest joy was found.

So may our youth adore Thy name!
And, Saviour, deign to bless
With fostering grace the timid flame
Of early holiness!

CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS.

Our Saviour meek, and with untroubled mind,

After his airy jaunt, tho' hurried sore, Hungry and cold betook him to his rest, Wherever, under some concourse of shades Whose branching arms thick intertwin'd might shield,

From dews and damps of night, his shelter'd head,

But shelter'd slept in vain; for at his head, The tempter watch'd, and soon with ugly dreams

Disturb'd his sleep; and either tropic now 'Gan thunder, and both ends of heaven the clouds

From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd Fierce rain with lightning mixt, water with

fire

In ruin reconcil'd: Nor slept the winds Within their stony caves, but rush'd abroad From the four hinges of the world, and fell On the vexed wilderness, whose tallest pines, Tho' rooted deep as high, and sturdiest oaks Bow'd their stiff necks, loaden with stormy

blasts,

Or torn up sheer: Ill wast thou shrouded then

O patient son of God, yet only stood'st Unshaken; nor yet staid the terror there, Infernal ghosts, and hellish furies, round Environ'd thee, some howl'd, some yell'd, some shriek'd,

Some bent at thee their fiery darts; while thou

Sat'st unappall'd in calm and sinless peace.

Thus pass'd the night so foul, till morning fair

Came forth with pilgrim steps in amice gray; Who with her radiant fingers still'd the roar Of thunder, chas'd the clouds, and laid the winds,

And grisly spectres, which the fiend had rais'd

To tempt the son of God with terrors dire.

MILTON.

DARKNESS now rose As day-light sunk, and brought in low'ring night

Her shadowy offspring, unsubstantial both, Privation mere of light, and absent day.

JESUS TEACHING THE PEOPLE.

BOWRING.

How sweetly flow'd the gospel's sound From lips of gentleness and grace,

When listening thousands gather'd round,
And joy and reverence fill'd the place.

From heaven he came-of heaven he spoke,
To heaven he led his followers' way;
Dark clouds of gloomy night he broke,
Unveiling an immortal day.

"Come wanderers, to my Father's home, "Come, all ye weary ones and rest!" Yes! sacred Teacher,-we will comeObey thee,- love thee, and be blest!

Decay then, tenements of dust!

Pillars of earthly pride, decay! A nobler mansion waits the just, And Jesus has prepared the way.

BEHOLD MY MOTHER AND MY
BRETHREN.

GRAHAME.

WHO is my Mother or my Brethren?
He spake and looked on them who sat
around,

With a meek smile of pity blent with love,
More melting than ere gleamed from human
face,-

To strangers' hands: the innocents alarmed
Amid the throng of faces all unknown,
Shrink, trembling,-till their wandering
eyes discern

The countenance of JESUS, beaming love
And pity; eager then they stretch their arms,
And, cowering, lay their heads upon his
breast.

MIRACLES OF CHRIST.

BISHOP TAYLOR.

FULL of mercy, full of love,
Look upon us from above!

Thou who taught'st the blind man's night
To entertain a double light,

Thine and the day's, (and that thine too :)
The lame away his crutches threw ;
The parched crust of leprosy
Return'd unto its infancy;

The dumb amazed was to hear

His unchain'd tongue to strike his ear:
Thy powerful mercy did even chase
The Devil from his usurped place,
Where Thou Thyself should'st dwell, not he:
Oh let thy love our pattern be!
Let thy mercy teach one brother
To forgive and love another;
That, copying Thy mercy here,

As when a sunbeam, through a summer Thy goodness may hereafter rear

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