2.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord.-LUKE xii.

Sweet incense breathes around,
The coming Lord to greet;

And Sion, through her sacred bound,
Awakes her God to meet.

Arise ye then, ye wakeful quires,

And early light your altar-fires.

Let Faith, with glistening eye,

Trim up her torch so bright;

And flame-encircled Charity

Breathe out her glowing light:
And white rob'd Innocence be there,
To pour its sweetest incense-prayer.

Why love to linger here

These guilty days prolong ?—
More blessed far yon dying seer;

Be ours his parting song!

And He, whom here by faith we see,

Shall our eternal portion be.

To God, the Father, Son,

And Spirit, glory be;

To the eternal Three in One,

To all eternity!

Blest Trinity, to Thee we raise

Our joyous hearts in ceaseless praise.

3.

The mystery, which hath been hid from ages and from generations, now is made manifest to His saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery.-COLOSS. i.

Who now in helpless infancy
By His own altar lies;

The ensign to the nations He,

Descended from the skies.

The glory He of Israel's line,

Of all the world the light divine!

Above, around, their hymns of joy
The viewless Angels sing,

And throngs, unseen by human eye,

Adore the infant King.

The wondering parents catch the lays, And inly breathe unconscious praise.

Scarce can the raptured spirit bear
The heaven-inspired thought:
And Hope, that many a live-long year
The lingering Saviour sought,
Transported with the wondrous view,
Can scarce believe the vision true.

Thou, whom in tranced ecstasy,
The Prophets dimly scann'd,
Art now beheld by mortal eye,
And borne by mortal hand:
And, when thou shalt again appear,

Shail waken every ear to hear.

Lord, when Thou art ascended high, And from Thy temple gone,

Let Faith her eagle-wings supply,

And watch Thee to Thy throne,

Her mystic touch still feel Thee here, And in each heart Thine altar rear.

To the Eternal Father be

Eternal praise above:

Eternal glory, Lord, to Thee,
Pledge of that Father's love.

To Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
Coequal glory be addrest.

4.

Christ being come, an High Priest of good things to come, by' a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.-HEB. ix.

Tremble, ye Gentile lands,-

Bound in the narrow bands

Of Israel's law, the Law's dread Lord is laid;

Less than the least esteem'd,

Redeemer, yet redeem'd,

And for His sinless birth a sinner's offering paid.

Matron of Israel true,

The Mother-maid withdrew,

Nor came to worship to His temple-door,

The Law's accustom'd days

Restrain'd her pious praise,

Nor to His presence-court the wondrous infant bore.