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,
Shalt 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.

AT SECOND VESPERS.

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.

"Stupete gentes, fit Deus hostia."

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.

And, lo, the threefold band,

That by yon altar stand! Childhood, and age, and virgin purity :She, mother undefil'd,

And He, her Heaven-born child, And age, at such a sight, content in peace to die.

But, ah! what sorrows fierce,

What sword that heart shall pierce,

Oh, born for keenest throb of deepest woe !—
See they,-old Symeon's eyes,

Another altar rise,

And from this Holy Lamb th' atoning life-blood flow?

E'en now, in childhood weak,

All innocent and meek,

Death's dark wing hovers o'er His holy head :

And soon to manhood's bloom

His sorrowing years shall come,

And soon for guilty man His guiltless blood be shed.

To God the Father, Son,

And Spirit, Three in One,

In union blest, one common voice we raise.
To Thee, blest Trinity,

Eternal glory be;

Pure be our hearts, and ceaseless be our praise.

ON THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

AT THE FIRST VESPERS.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.-ZECH. ii.

"Hæc illa solemnis dies."

THIS is the festal light,
Salvation's herald bright,
When the golden sun was sent
From the crystal firmament.
We were all in ruin'd plight,
Falling on to endless night:
To take the fallen for his own,
Lo, God Himself comes down.

Who with the Eternal Father shared His throne,
And on His bosom lay, the Eternal Son,

He wears time's lowly weeds,

Nor scorns the Virgin's womb, the Holy One,