With hearts and hands uplifted

We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of our redemption,

That brings us unto thee.s

71 I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. [P.M.

John xvi. 22.
1 Thou art coming, O my Saviour,

Thou art coming, O my King,
In thy beauty all-resplendent,
In thy glory all-transcendent;

Well may we rejoice and sing ;
Coming :-in the opening east

Herald brightness slowly swells;
Coming :-O my glorious Priest,

Hear we not thy golden bells ?
2 Thou art coming, thou art coming ;

We shall meet thee on thy way,
We shall see thee, we shall know thee,
We shall bless thee, we shall show theo

All our hearts could never say ;
What an anthem that will be,

Music rapturously sweet,
Pouring out our love to thee

At thine own all-glorious feet !
3 Thou art coming; at thy table

We are witnesses for this;
While remembering hearts thou meetest
In communion clearest, sweetest,

Earnest of our coming bliss,
Showing not thy death alone,

And thy love exceeding great,
But thy coming, and thy throne,

All for which we long and wait.
4 O the joy to see thee reigning,

Thee my own beloved Lord;
Every tongue thy name confessing;
Worship, honour, glory, blessing

Brought to thee with one accord,

Thee, my Master and my Friend,

Vindicated and enthroned,
Unto earth's remotest end

Glorified, adored, and own'd.

72

The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our [P.M.

ga!hering together unto him.—2 Thess. ii. 1.
1 TEN thousand times ten thousand,

In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransom'd saints

Throng up the steeps of light:
'Tis finish'd, all is finish'd,

Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,

And let the victors in.
2 What rush of Hallelujahs

Fills all the earth and sky;
What ringing of a thousand harps

Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation

And all its tribes were made;
O joy for all its former woes

A thousand-fold repaid !
3 O then what raptured greetings

On Canaan's happy shore,
What knitting sever'd friendships up

Where partings are no more !
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle

That brimm'd with tears of late ;
Orphans no longer fatherless,

Nor widows desolate.
4 Bring near thy great salvation,

Thou Lamb for sinners slain,
Fill up the roll of thine elect,

Then take thy power and reign :

Appear, Desire of nations,

Thine exiles long for home
Show in the heavens thy promised sign;

Thou Prince and Saviour, come.

Christmas. " WHEN THOU TOOKEST UPON THEE TO DELIVER MAN

THOU DIDST NOT ABHOR THE Virgin's WOMB.”

73

Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is

Christ the Lord. - Luke ii. 11.

[C.M.

1 WHILE shepherds watch'd their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.
2 “Fear not,” said he ; (for mighty dread

Had seized their troubled mind ;) “Glad tidings of great joy I bring

I
To you and all mankind.
3 “ To you, in David's town, this day

Is born of David's line
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;

And this shall be the sign.
4 “ The heavenly Babe you there shall find

To human view display'd,
All meanly wrapp'd in swathing bands,

And in a manger laid."
5 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith

Appear'd a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, and thus

Address'd their joyful song. 6 “ All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be

peace ;
Good will henceforth from heaven to men

Begin, and never cease."

74

God was manifest in the flesh.-1 Tim. iii. 16. [P.M. 1 Or the Father's love begotten,

Ere the worlds began to be,
He, the Alpha and Omega,

He the source, the ending he
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,

Evermore and evermore.
2 He is here, whom seers of old time

Chanted of while ages ran ;
Whom the faithful word of prophets

Promised since the world began;
Long foretold, at length appearing,
Praise him every child of man,

Evermore and evermore.
3 Blessed was the day for ever,

When by God the Spirit's grace
From the womb of Virgin mother

Came the Saviour of our race,
When the Child, the world's Redeemer,
First display'd his sacred face,

Evermore and evermore.
4 Praise him, O ye heaven of heavens;

Praise him, angels in the height;
All dominions bow before him,

And exalt his wondrous might;
Let no tongue of man be silent;
Let each voice and heart unite,

Evermore and evermore.
5 Thee let old men, thee let young men,

Thee let boys in chorus sing ;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens,

With glad voices answering;
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its praises bring,

Evermore and evermore.

6 Christ, to thee, with God the Father,

And, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
Hymn, and chant, and high thanksgiving,

And unwearied praises be,
Honour, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory,

Evermore and evermore. Amen.

75 The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. [C.M.

John i. 14.
1 O SAVIOUR, whom this holy morn

Gave to our world below,
To mortal want and labour born,

And more than mortal woe.
2 Incarnate Word, by every grief,

By each temptation tried;
Who lived to yield our ills relief,

And to redeem us, died.
3 If gaily clothed and proudly fed

În dangerous wealth we dwell,
Remind us of thy manger-bed

And lowly cottage cell.
4 If press'd by poverty severe,

În envious want we pine ;
O may the Spirit whisper near,

How poor a lot was thine.
5 Through this world's fickle various scent,

From sin preserve us free:
Like us thou hast a mourner been,

May we rejoice with thee." 76 Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. [Six 10s.

Luke ii. 10.
1 CHRISTIANS, awake, salute the happy morn,

Whereon the Saviour of the world was born;
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
Which hosts of angels chanted from above;
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the Virgin's Son.