C. Coffin, 1676-1749. Tr. J. Chandler ↑.
Quae stella sole pulchrior.
HAT star is this, with beams so bright,
More lovely than the noonday light?
'Tis sent to announce a new-born King,
Glad tidings of our God to bring.
2 'Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,
'From Jacob shall a star proceed';
And lo! the eastern sages stand,
To read in heaven the Lord's command.
3 While outward signs the star displays,
An inward light the Lord conveys,
And urges them, with force benign,
To seek the giver of the sign.
4 True love can brook no dull delay:
Through toils and dangers lies their way;
And yet their home, their friends, their all,
They leave at once, at God's high call.
5 0, while the star of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek thy face,
May we no more that grace repel,
Or quench that light which shines so well!
6. To God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
May every tongue and nation raise
An endless song of thankful praise! Amen.
J. Montgomery, 1771-1854.
AIL 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 let the captive free;
To take away transgression,.
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with succour speedy
To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in his sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth,
And love, joy, hope, like flowers,
Spring in his path to birth:
Before him on the mountains
Shall peace the herald go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4* Arabia's desert-ranger
To him shall bow the knee; The Ethiopian stranger
His glory come to see;
With offerings of devotion
Ships from the isles shall meet, To pour the wealth of ocean
In tribute at his feet.
5 Kings shall fall down before him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore him,
His praise all people sing;
To him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
6.* O'er every foe victorious,
He on his throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest:
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for ever;
That name to us is Love.
J.-B. de Santeüil, 1630-97. Tr. J. Chandler.
Divine crescebas Puer.
N stature grows the heavenly Child,
With death before his eyes;
A Lamb unblemished, meek and mild,
Prepared for sacrifice.
2 The Son of God his glory hides
With parents mean and poor;
And he who made the heaven abides
In dwelling-place obscure.
3 Those mighty hands that stay thẻ sky
No earthly toil refuse;
And he who set the stars on high
A humble trade pursues.
4 He before whom the Angels stand,
At whose behest they fly,
Now yields himself to man's command,
And lays his glory by.
5. Jesu, the Virgin's holy Son,
We praise thee and adore,
Who art with God the Father one,
And Spirit evermore.
Bishop Chr. Wordsworth, 1807-85.
MONGS of thankfulness and praise,
SONGS of th, nk tulee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David's stem
In thy birth at Bethlehem;
Anthems be to thee addrest,
God in Man made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding-guest
In thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to thee addrest,
God in Man made manifest.
3 Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil's might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to thee addrest,
God in Man made manifest.
4* Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see his glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confest,
God in Man made manifest.
5. Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,
Mirrored in thy holy word;
May we imitate thee now,
And be pure, as pure art thou;
That we like to thee may be
At thy great Epiphany,
And may praise thee, ever blest,
God in Man made manifest.
A. P. Stanley, 1815-81.
HE Lord is come! On Syrian soil,
The child of poverty and toil;
The Man of Sorrows, born to know
Each varying shade of human woe:
His joy, his glory, to fulfil,
In earth and heaven, his Father's will;
On lonely mount, by festive board,
On bitter Cross, despised, adored.
2 The Lord is come! In him we trace
The fullness of God's truth and grace;
Throughout those words and acts divine
Gleams of the eternal splendour shine;
And from his inmost Spirit flow,
As from a height of sunlit snow,
The rivers of perennial life,
To heal and sweeten Nature's strife.
3. The Lord is come! In every heart
Where truth and mercy claim a part;
In every land where right is might,
And deeds of darkness shun the light;
In every Church where faith and love
Lift earthward thoughts to things above;
In every holy, happy home,
We bless thee, Lord, that thou hast come.
The following are also suitable :—
364 All hail the power of Jesu's name.
380 Come, ye faithful, raise the anthem.
381 Crown him with many crowns.
384 Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round.
395 God of mercy, God of grace.
419 Jesu, the very thought of thee.
420 Jesus shall reign where'er the sun.
423 Judge eternal, throned in splendour.
459 O Love, how deep, how broad, how high.
481 Songs of praise the Angels sang.
514 Who is this so weak and helpless.
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