I would I had in my best part Fit rooms for Thee! or that my heart Were so clean as Thy manger was! But I am all filth, and obscene; Yet, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make clean. Sweet Jesu! will then; let no more Oh, release him! And let once more, by mystic birth, The Lord of life be born in earth. O LOVELY Voices of the sky, That hymned the Saviour's birth! Wherewith, in days gone by, Ye blessed the Syrian swains, O voices of the sky! Henry Vaughan. O clear and shining light, whose beams Be near, through life and death, Of Hope, and Joy, and Faith, O star which led to Him, whose love Where art thou?-'midst the hosts above, In heaven thou art not set, Thy rays earth might not dim Send them to guide us yet, O star which led to Him! Felicia Hemans. ALL after pleasures as I rid one day, My horse and I, both tired, body and mind, With full cry of affections, quite astray, I took up in the next inn I could find. There when I came, whom found I but my dear, O Thou, whose glorious, yet contracted light, To man of all beasts be not Thou a stranger! The shepherds sing, and shall I silent be? My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it feeds The pasture is Thy word; the streams, Thy grace Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers Then we will chide the sun for letting night Take up his place and right: We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should I will go searching, till I find a sun Shall stay till we have done; A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly, Then we will sing, and shine all our own day, His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine, Till even his beams sing, and my music shine. George Herbert. CHRIST, whose redemption all does free, Before the world began to be, Didst spring from Him by means unknown; Thou His clear brightness! Thou His light! Observe the prayers which in Thy sight O dearest Saviour, bear in mind, That of our body Thou, a child, Didst whilom take the natural kind, Born of the Virgin undefiled! This much the present day makes known, That Thou from Thy high Father's throne The highest heaven, the earth and seas, With mirthful songs His praise resound. We also, who redeemed are With Thy pure blood from sinful state, For this Thy birthday will prepare Glory, O Lord, be given to Thee, And the Holy Ghost, for evermore! William Drummond. My soul, why art thou thus deject? Oh, that He once the heavens would reave, A Son, fore-named Emmanuel, Who shall descend with us to dwell. And see that heavenly news comes down, A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, |