CHRISTMAS DAY.

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II.

Earth, strike up your music,

Birds that sing and bells that ring; Heaven hath answering music,

For all Angels soon to sing; Earth, put on your whitest Bridal robe of spotless snow, For Christmas bringeth Jesus Brought for us so low.

A

CHRISTMAS DAY.

I.

BABY is a harmless thing,

And wins our heart with one accord,

And Flower of babies was their King

Jesus Christ our Lord:

Lily of lilies He

Upon His Mother's knee;

Rose of roses, soon to be

Crowned with thorns on leafless tree.

II.

A lamb is innocent and mild

And merry on the soft green sod,

And Jesus Christ the Undefiled,
Is the Lamb of God:

Only spotless He

Upon His Mother's knee;
White and ruddy, soon to be

Sacrificed for you and me.

III.

Nay, lamb is not so sweet a word,
Nor lily half so pure a name;
Another name our hearts hath stirred,
Kindling them to flame :
"Jesus" certainly

Is music and melody;

Heart with heart in harmony
Carol we and worship we.

LOVE came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angel gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,

Love Incarnate, Love Divine, -
Worship we our Jesus.

ASH WEDNESDAY.

MY God, my God, have mercy on my sin

For it is great; and if I should begin To tell it all, the day would be too small To tell it in.

My God, Thou wilt have mercy on my sin For Thy Love's sake; yea, if I should begin To tell this all, the day would be too small To tell it in.

EASTER EVEN.

181

GOOD FRIDAY.

ORD JESUS CHRIST grown faint upon the
Cross,

A sorrow beyond sorrow in Thy look,

The unutterable craving for my soul,

Thy love of me sufficed

To load upon Thee and make good my loss

In face of darkened heaven and earth that shook :In face of earth and heaven, take Thou my whole Heart, O Lord Jesus Christ.

EASTER EVEN.

THE tempest over and gone, the calm begun.
Lo, "it is finished," and the Strong Man sleeps;
All stars keep vigil watching for the sun,
The moon her vigil keeps.

A garden full of silence and of dew,

Beside a virgin cave and entrance stone: Surely a garden full of Angels too, Wondering, on watch alone.

They who cry "Holy, Holy, Holy," still

Veiling their faces round God's Throne above,

May well keep vigil on this heavenly hill

And cry their cry of love.

Adoring God in His new mystery

Of Love more deep than hell, more strong than

death:

Until the day break and the shadows flee,

The Shaking and the Breath.

QUESTION AND ANSWER.

183

QUESTION AND ANSWER.

"Des, to
"DOES
"Yes, to the very end!"

OES the road wind up-hill all the way?"

"Will the day's journey take the whole long day?" "From morn to night, my friend!”

"But is there for the night a resting-place?"
"A roof for me when the dark hours begin!
"May not the darkness hide it from my face?"
"You cannot miss that inn!"

"Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?" "Those who have gone before!"

"Then must I knock, or call when just in sight? "They will not keep you standing at that door!"

"Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?"

"Of labor you shall find the sum!"

"Will there be beds for me and all who seek?" 66 Yea, beds for all who come!"