Go, sinners! to the rocks complain;
Go, seek the mountain's cleft in vain ;
But Faith, victorious o'er the tomb,
Shall sing for joy, The Lord is come!
Praise to the Son for us once slain,
Who as our Judge shall come again,
The Father, and the Holy Ghost,
From men and from the heavenly Host.
The Third Sunday in Advent.
WHEN Christ the Lord would come on earth,
His messenger before Him went;
The greatest born of mortal birth,
And charged with words of deep intent.
The least of all that here attend
Hath honour greater far than he;
He was the Bridegroom's joyful friend,
His Body and His Spouse are we.
A higher race, the sons of light,
Of water and the Spirit born ;
He, the last star of parting night,
And we, the children of the morn.
Oh! as he boldly spake Thy word,
And joy'd to hear the Bridegroom's voice,
Thus may Thy pastors teach, O Lord,
And thus Thy list'ning Church rejoice!
To Jesus Christ, th' Incarnate Word,
The Father and the Spirit Blest,
Eternal and thrice Holy Lord,
Be everlasting praise address'd.
The Fourth Sunday in Advent.
ANTRA DESERTI TENERIS AB ANNIS.
IN tender years the desert caves,
Flying the haunts of men, John sought,
That e'en by lightest crime of tongue,
His life might ne'er contract a spot.
Hard raiment for his holy limbs
From camels stripp'd, was round him fix'd,
Water his draught, and for his food
Were locusts with wild honey mix'd.
Others with mind prophetic sang
The brightness of some future day;
But he, e'en present, pointed out
The Lamb Who takes all sin away.
None holier was, of woman born,
Than he who chosen was to lave,
In Jordan's pure baptismal stream,
Jesus Who came mankind to save.
All glory in an endless reign,
To God the Saviour of the lost,
To Christ the Lamb for sinners slain,
The Father, and the Holy Ghost.
HARK, the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th' angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the Everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb :
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th' Incarnate Deity;
Pleased as Man with man t' appear,
Jesus, our Immanuel here.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n 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.
Glory to the Heavenly King!
Glory, all ye nations, sing
Glory to the Father, Son,
And Blest Spirit, Three in One.
A SOLIS ORTUS CARDINE.
FROM the faint dayspring's eastern goal
Far as the utmost west,
Come, sing we Christ, the Saviour born
Of Virgin Mother blest :
The Father of the age to come,
In servant's form arrayed,
That Man He might for man atone,
And ransom whom He made.
Within that Mother's spotless frame
Celestial favour reigns,
A secret load she ween'd not of,
The maiden pure sustains;
Her bosom chaste at once becomes
The temple for her God,
And she, who knew not man, is made
A heavenly Babe's abode.
He comes, He comes, the Virgin-born,
To Gabriel's promise true;
He, Whom, as yet unborn, o'erjoyed
The unborn Baptist knew :
Nor recks He of His bed of hay,
Nor He the manger heeds;
Enough the milky breast for Him,
Who the young ravens feeds.
A Shepherd to the shepherd's fold,
From heaven is come the Lord,
Celestial choristers rejoice,
And angels sing to God.
Now glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom a pure Virgin bore,
With Father, and with Holy Ghost,
Henceforth for evermore.
THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, OR THE
BIRTHDAY OF CHRIST;
Commonly called
Christmas Day.
CHRISTIANS, awake, salute the happy morn,
Whereon the Saviour of mankind was born;
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
With hosts of angels chanting from above;
By whom the joyful tidings first were sung
Of God Incarnate and the Virgin's Son.
The praises of redeeming love they sang,
And Heaven's whole orb with hallelujahs rang;
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace upon earth, and unto men good-will.
This day hath God fulfilled His promised word;
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.
To Bethl'em straight th' enlightened shepherds ran,
To see the wonders God had wrought for man;
Then to their flocks, still praising God, return;
And their glad hearts within their bosoms burn ;
To all the joyful tidings they proclaim,
The first apostles of the Saviour's fame.
Oh! may we keep and ponder in our mind,
God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind;
Trace we the Babe, Who hath retrieved our loss,
From His poor manger to His bitter Cross;
Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,
Till man's first heavenly state again takes place.
Then may we hope, th' angelic choir among,
To sing redeem'd a glad triumphant song,
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