THE SAVIOUR'S BIRTH. 709 THE SAVIOUR'S BIRTH. JOHN THE BAPTIST. THE last and greatest herald of heaven's King, NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. GERARD MOULTRIE, son of John Moultrie, and joint editor with Dr. Littledale of the People's Hymnal," was born in 1830. He is a graduate of Exeter College, Oxford. The 24th of June is the day marked in the calendar as the "nativity of John the Baptist." HERALD of Christ, the day is come, The page of life shall be unrolled : Greatest among the sons of clay, Less than the least in heaven's domain, Last of the old world, called away Ere God in man restores his reign: Thou seest the dawn climb up the skies, Yet mayst not see the Sun arise. Those beams shall tint the humblest cot, To stand upon the skirts of night: Through the bright gates of orient pearl Elias drives his fiery car, "From that world to bring to this Peace, which, of all earthly blisses, Is the brightest, purest bliss." Wherefore from his throne exalted Came he on this earth to dwell; Why did he, the Lord eternal, Well, then, let us haste to Bethlem; VIOLANTE DO CEO. Translated BETHLEHEM! OF NOBLEST CITIES. "O sola magnarum urbium." EDWARD CASWALL, to whom we are indebted for many of the very best translations from the Latin, was born at Yately, Hampshire, England, July 15, 1814, and was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he was of marked proficiency in the classics. He took orders in the Church of England, but in 1847 was received into the Catholic Church at Rome. In 1850 he was admitted to the congregation of the Oratory at Birmingham, and later was re-ordained as priest. BETHLEHEM! of noblest cities None can once with thee compare; Thou alone the Lord from heaven Didst for us incarnate bear. Fairer than the sun at morning Was the star that told his birth; To the lands their God announcing, Hid beneath a form of earth. By its lambent beauty guided, See, the Eastern kings appear; See them bend, their gifts to offer, Gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh. Offerings of mystic meaning!- Incense doth the God disclose; Gold a royal child proclaimeth; Myrrh a future tomb foreshows. THE SAVIOUR'S BIRTH. Are but as broken gleams that start, O Counsellor four thousand years, They asked the vault, but no one spoke; They looked, and sometimes on the height The secret of the years is read, Sun after sun went down, and trod Till generations seemed to be But thou hast come, and now we know O Prince of peace! crowned, yet discrowned, They say the hour that thou didst come The trumpet's voice was stricken dumb, And no one beat the battle-drum. Yea, still as life to them that mark, Thou who art wonderful dost fling One ray, till like a sea-bird's wing The canvas is a snowy thing; Till the dark boat is turned to gold, The sun-lit silvered ocean rolled With anthems that are new and old, With noble path of luminous ray From the boat slanting all the way, To the island of undying day. And still as clouding questions swarm Around our hearts, and dimly form Their problems of the mist and storm; And still as ages fleet, but fraught With syllables, whereby is wrought The fulness of the eternal thought; 711 And when, not yet in God's sunshine. The smoke drifts from the embattled line Of warring hearts that would be thine; We bid our doubts and passions cease, Our restless fears be stilled with these, Counsellor, Father, Prince of peace! WILLIAM ALEXANDR. THE GUIDING STAR. But lo, a brighter, clearer light It shines through sin and sorrow's night, Oh, haste to follow where it leads, Oh, gladly tread the narrow path While light and grace are given ; Who meekly follow Christ on earth, Shall reign with him in heaven. |