3 The word of life, dispensed to-day,
Invites us to a heavenly feast;
May every ear the call obey,
Be every heart an humble guest:
O bid the wretched sons of need
On soul-reviving dainties feed!

NATIVITY OF JESUS.

HYMN 135. C. M. [#]
Angelic Message.

1 WHAT sudden glories did surprise
Shepherds who watched their fold!
A heavenly form salutes their eyes,
Arrayed in shining gold!

2 'Twas night, and gloomy darkness hung
Over the lands afar;

Shepherds in pensive numbers sung,
Or watched the twinkling star.

3 Deep musing on the prophecies
Of glories then to come,

With glimmering hopes and longing eyes,
They of Messiah sung.

4 Behold, the tidings, which we bring
То you of heavenly grace,

Are of your long-expected King,
The Saviour of your race.

5 To-day is born, in Bethlehem,
The long-expected Light,

To rule the New Jerusalem,

And turn to day the night.

HYMN 136. C. M. [#]
Angel's Song.

1 SHEPHERDS, rejoice; lift up your eyes,

And send your fears away;

News from the region of the skies—
The Saviour's born to-day!

2 No gold, nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal, shining things;
A manger for his cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings!

3 Thus Gabriel sang-and straight around
The heavenly armies throng:
They tune their harps to lofty sound,
And thus conclude the song :-

4 Glory to God who reigns above;

;

Let peace abound on earth
Mortals shall know their Maker's love,
At their Redeemer's birth.

HYMN 137. H. M. [#]

Christ's Birth proclaimed.

1 HARK! what celestial notes,
What melody, we hear!
Soft on the morn it floats,

And fills the ravished ear.

The tuneful shell,
The golden lyre,
And vocal choir,

The concert swell.

2 Angelic hosts descend,
With harmony divine;

See, how from heaven they bend,
And in full chorus join!

Fear not, say they;

Great joy we bring:
Jesus, your King,
Is born to-day.

3 Glory to God on high!

Ye mortals, spread the sound,
And let your raptures fly

To earth's remotest bound!
For peace on earth,

From God in heaven,
To man is given,

At Jesus' birth.

HYMN 138. P. M. [#]

The Nativity.

1 No war nor battle's sound

Was heard the world around ; No hostile chiefs to furious combat ran; But peaceful was the night,

In which the Prince of light

His reign of peace upon the earth began.

2 The shepherds on the lawn,

Before the point of dawn,

In social circle sat; while, all around,
The gentle, fleecy brood

Or cropped the flowery food,

Or slept, or sported on the verdant ground.
3 When, lo, with ravished ears,
Each swain delighted hears
Sweet music, offspring of no mortal hand;
Divinely-warbled voice,

Answering the stringed noise, With blissful rapture charmed the listening band 4 Hail, hail, auspicious morn!

The Saviour Christ is born! Such was the raptured seraph's song sublime. Glory to God in heaven!

To man sweet peace be given, Sweet peace and friendship, to the end of time!

HYMN 139. C. M. [#]

Behold, he comes.
1 SING to the Lord, ye distant lands,
Ye tribes of every tongue;

His new-discovered grace demands
A new and nobler

song.

2 Say to the nations, Jesus reigns,-
God's own anointed Son;

His power the sinking world sustains,
And
grace surrounds his throne.

3 Let heaven proclaim the joyful day,
Joy through the earth be seen;
Let cities shine in bright array,
And fields in cheerful green.

4 With joy lift up your wondering eyes,
Ye islands of the sea;

Ye mountains, sink; ye valleys, rise
Prepare the Lord his way.

HYMN 140. S. M. [#]

The Lord is come.

1 Joy to the world below-
The Lord himself is come!
Let mighty kings before him bow,
And monarchs give him room.

2 Joy to the earth he brings,
And angels shout his praise;
Let every soul an anthem sing
In heaven-inspiring lays.

3 Far as the curse is found,

He makes his blessings flow;
Thorns shall no more infest the ground
Nor man his sorrows know.

4 He rules with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.

* HYMN 141. C. M. [#]

Christmas.

1 JEHOVAH spake, and Gabriel sped,
Upborne on wings of light;

Celestial glory round him spread,
And changed to day the night.