From where the eastern day spring shines,
To where the sun's last beam declines,
Her Lord's high praise the Church shall sing,
Born of a Virgin, Christ the King;

Blest Author of an endless age,
Who took man's form and bore man's rage,
That through His flesh, He flesh might save,
Nor lose what He its being gave.

The overshadowing power of God,
Made of the Virgin its abode:
'Mongst women she the blessed one,
Conceived the long expected Son,

She to her breast most pure did hold
The child whom Gabriel foretold;
Whose presence, when her voice was heard,
With joy His unborn Herald stirred.

With straw a manger rudely spread,
Earth
gave

her Lord to be His bed; And He each living thing who feeds, Made earthly food meet earthly needs.

Yet choirs of Heaven high anthems sung,
And bending angels o'er Him hung;
While simple shepherds learned that morn,
How the chief Shepherd then was born.

Jesu! the Virgin-born, to Thee,
One in the Father's Unity,
And Both with the good spirit one,
Be honors everlasting done.

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH.

Wymns for Epiphany.

1.

Why cruel Herod dost thou fear
That God thy King is drawing near ?
Shall He desire thine earthly throne,
Who gives His Saints a Heavenly crown ?

The Magi came upon their way,
Led by that star's mysterious ray ;
Light seeking, on by light they trod,
And with their treasures, owned their God.

'Mid Jordan's waves the Saviour stood,
And sinless sanctified the flood;
So water by His glorious grace,
From sin should wash our sinful race.

Then water by His power divine,
At Cana's marriage changed to wine,
Showed how in sacramental wise,
Wine should be blood to faithful eyes.*

* Our own Church recognizes this three-fold manifestation, as commemorated at Epiphany.

Oh Jesu! be Thou ever blest,
Who thus Thyself did'st manifest;
And to the Triune God be given,
Eternal praise in earth and Heaven.

2.

Chief 'mongst the cities of the plain,

Bethlem! to whom 'twas given, To witness to the Virgin birth,

of Christ the Lord from Heaven;

O'er thee blazed forth that wondrous star,

Than noon-day sun more bright, Telling to watchful lands afar,

How God was man that night.

Led on by this, the Magi see;

Their eastern gifts behold, Offered to Him on bended knee,

Frankincense, myrrh, and gold:

Sabæan gums and glistening ore,

The God and King disclose;
While dust like myrrh completes the store,

And the dark tomb foreshows.*

Jesu, to Thee all glory be,

Who thus wert manifest,
One in the Father's Unity,

One with the Spirit blest.

* Says St. Hilary: “The oblation of their gifts expressed an understanding of His entire nature; by gold confessing the King, by frankincense the God, by myrrh the Man. And thus through the means of their worship, was there in each of these the indication of a great sacrament. In Man of death; in God of Resurrection; in the King of Judgment.Quoted in Williams on the Nativity p. 137.

IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES TRUST.