The answering hills of Palestine
Send back the glad reply,

And greet, from all their holy heights,
The day-spring from on high.

O'er the blue depths of Galilee
There comes a holier calm,

And Sharon waves, in solemn praise,
Her silent groves of palm.

"Glory to God!" the sounding skies
Loud with their anthems ring,
"Peace on the earth, good-will to men,
From heaven's eternal King!"

Light on thy hills, Jerusalem !
The Saviour now is born;

And bright, on Bethlehem's joyous plains,
Breaks the first Christmas morn.

EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS (1810-1876).

II.

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:

"Peace on the earth, good-will to men,

From heaven's all-gracious King."

The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world;

Above its sad and lowly plains

They bend on hovering wing,

And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way,
With painful steps and slow,-
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O, rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold,

When Peace shall over all the earth

Its ancient splendors fling,

And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS (1810-1876).

III.

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by:

Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee to-night.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray!
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day!
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

PHILLIPS BROOKS (1835–1893).

IV.

Watchman! tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveller! o'er yon mountain's height
See that glory-beaming star.
Watchman! doth its beauteous ray

Aught of hope or joy foretell?

Traveller yes, it brings the day,

Promised day of Israel.

Watchman! tell us of the night.

Higher yet that star ascends. Traveller! blessedness and light,

Peace and truth its course portends.

Watchman! will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveller! ages are its own,

And it bursts o'er all the earth.

Watchman! tell us of the night,

For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveller! darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman! let thy wanderings cease,
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveller! lo! the Prince of Peace,
Lo! the Son of God is come!

JOHN BOWRING (1792-1872).

66

V.

"What means this glory round our feet,"
The Magi mused, more bright than morn?"
And voices chanted clear and sweet,

"To-day the Prince of Peace is born!"

"What means that star?" the shepherds said, "That brightens through the rocky glen?" And angels answering overhead

Sang, "Peace on earth, good-will to men!"'

'Tis eighteen hundred years and more
Since those sweet oracles were dumb;
We wait for him like them of yore;
Alas, he seems so slow to come!

But it was said in words of gold

No time or sorrow e'er shall dim,
That little children might be bold
In perfect trust to come to him.

All round about our feet shall shine
A light like that the wise men saw,

If we our loving wills incline

To that sweet Life which is the Law.

So shall we learn to understand

The simple faith of shepherds then,
And, kindly clasping hand in hand,
Sing, "Peace on earth, good-will to men !"
For they who to their childhood cling,
And keep their natures fresh as morn,
Once more shall hear the angels sing,
"To-day the Prince of Peace is born."

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL (1819-1891).

O thou great Friend to all the sons of men,
Who once appeared in humblest guise below,
Sin to rebuke, to break the captive's chain,

And call thy brethren forth from want and woe,—

Thee would I sing: thy truth is still the light Which guides the nations, groping on their way, Stumbling and falling in disastrous night,

Yet hoping ever for the perfect day.

Yes thou art still the life; thou art the way

:

The holiest know,-light, life, and way of heaven ;And they who dearest hope, and deepest pray,

Toil by the truth, life, way, that thou hast given.

From a Sonnet.

JESUS.

THEODORE PARKER (1810-1860).

Immortal by their deed and word,
Like light around them shed,
Still speak the prophets of the Lord,
Still live the sainted dead.

The voice of old by Jordan's flood
Yet floats upon the air;