A Hymn for the Epiphany

Time is too narrow for Thy year,

Nor makes the whole world Thy half-sphere.

Therefore, to Thee, and Thine auspicious ray,

(Dread sweet!), lo thus,

At least by us,

The delegated eye of day,

Does first his sceptre, then himself, in solemn tribute pay:

Thus he undresses

His sacred unshorn tresses;

At thy adored feet thus he lays down,

To which he now has no pretence;

For being show'd by this day's light, how far
He is from sun, enough to make thy star,
His best ambition now is but to be
Something a brighter shadow, sweet! of thee.
Or on heaven's azure forehead high to stand,
Thy golden index; with a duteous hand

Pointing us home to our own Sun,
The world's and his Hyperion.

RICHARD CRASHAW

44. HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS DAY

Ist.

[Being a dialogue between three shepherds.]

W

HERE is this blessed Babe

That hath made

All the world so full of joy

And expectation;

That glorious Boy

That crowns each nation

With a triumphant wreath of blessedness?

2nd.

Where should He be but in the throng,

And among

His angel ministers, that sing

And take wing

Just as may echo to His voice,
And rejoice,

When wing and tongue and all
May so procure their happiness?

3rd.

But He hath other waiters now:

A poor cow,

An ox and mule, stand and behold,

And wonder

That a stable should enfold

Him that can thunder.

Chorus.- what a gracious God have we,

How good! how great! even as our misery.

JEREMY TAYLOR

45. HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS DAY

WAKE, my soul, and come away:

AWA

Put on thy best array;

Lest if thou longer stay

Thou lose some minutes of so blest a day.

Go run,

And bid good-morrow to the sun;
Welcome his safe return

To Capricorn,

And that great morn
Wherein a God was born,

Whose story none can tell

But He whose every word's a miracle.

To-day Almightiness grew weak;

The Word itself was mute and could not speak.

That Jacob's star which made the sun

To dazzle if he durst look on,

Now mantled o'er in Bethlehem's night,
Borrowed a star to show him light.
He that begirt each zone,

To whom both poles are one,
Who grasped the zodiac in his hand
And made it move or stand,
Is now by nature man,
By stature but a span;
Eternity is now grown short;
A King is born without a court;
The water thirsts, the fountain's dry;
And life, being born, made apt to die.

Hymn for Christmas Day

46.

Chorus.

Then let our praises emulate and vie
With His humility!

Since He's exiled from skies

That we might rise,—

From low estate of men

Let's sing Him up again !

Each man wind up his heart

To bear a part

In that angelic choir and show

His glory high as He was low.

Let's sing towards men good-will and charity,

Peace upon earth, glory to God on high!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

CHRISTMAS DAY

WONDER'S birthday,

JEREMY TAYLOR

WONDER'S

Which mak'st December's face

Fairer than May,

And bidst the spring give place

To fresher winter, in whose hardy snow

A flower more sweet than the whole spring doth grow.

For winter now

A virgin plant espies,

Which all his snow

Could never equalize :

More white, more chaste is she, yet fertile too,

The King of Miracles would have it so.

Christmas Day

For he it was

Who would be born below,
And find a place

Amongst poor us to grow.

Himself he planted in our dust that he
Might be as true a mortal thing as we.

Himself he set

And by that art was sure
That he should get

A birth all clean and pure:

Proud flesh corrupts and stains the seed we sow; He, planted by his Spirit, will spotless grow.

Virginity

His Father wanteth not,
Though glorious he

So great a Son hath got;
Wherefore Heaven orders that a virgin be
The Lily-Mother of his purity.

Upon the white

Church-wall oft-times have I

Observ'd the light,

Which darting from the sky

Pierc'd the unbroken glass and with it brought

The orient colours in the window wrought.