Oh, come and kneel before him;

Oh, come and all adore him;

Oh come, oh come, rejoicing to honour the Lord.

God of the Godhead, true Light unabated,
Mary the Virgin has borne the Adored;
True God eternal, begot, uncreated—
Oh, come and kneel before him;

Oh, come and all adore him;

Oh come, oh come, rejoicing to honour the Lord.

Sing, all ye angels, till echoes rebounding

Swell through your halls, for ever be heard; 'Glory to God,' through all heaven resoundingOh, come and kneel before him;

Oh, come and all adore him ;

Oh come, oh come, rejoicing to honour the Lord.

Praise to the Infant, who this day descended;
Glory to thee, blessed Jesus adored;

Word, in whom two natures join, yet unblended-
Oh, come and kneel before him;

Oh, come and all adore him;

Oh come, oh come, rejoicing to honour the Lord.

O DEUS, EGO AMO TE

ATTRIBUTED TO ST. FRANCIS XAVIER. Tr. EDWARD CASWALL

[1506-1552]

My God, I love thee: not because
I hope for heaven thereby,

Nor because they who love thee not
Must burn eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace;

For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace.

And grief and torments numberless, And sweat of agony;

Yea, death itself; and all for me

Who was thine enemy.

Then why, O Blessèd Jesu Christ,
Should I not love thee well?—
Not for the hope of winning heaven,
Nor of escaping hell;

Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as thyself hast lovèd me,
O ever-loving Lord!

E'en so I love thee and will love,
And in thy praise will sing,
Solely because thou art my God,
And my eternal King.

MODERN HYMNS

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD MARTIN LUTHER. Tr. FREDERICK HENRY HEDGE

A

[1483-1546]

MIGHTY fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great;
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing,--
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he,

Lord Sabaoth his name,

From age to age the same,

And he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,—
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,-
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers-
No thanks to them-abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD MARTIN RINKART. Tr. CATHERINE WINKWORTH

[1586-1649]

Now thank we all our God,

With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom his world rejoices,

Who from our mothers' arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours to-day.

O, may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts

And blessed peace to cheer us,
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills

In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God,
The Father, now be given,
The Son, and him who reigns
With them in highest heaven:-

The One Eternal God,

Whom earth and heaven adore,

For thus it was, is now,

And shall be evermore!

BE NOT DISMAYED

ATTRIBUTED TO GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS Tr. ELIZABETH CHARLES

[1594-1632]

BE not dismayed, thou little flock,
Although the foe's fierce battle-shock,
Loud on all sides, assail thee.
Though o'er thy fall they laugh secure,
Their triumph cannot long endure:
Let not thy courage fail thee.

Thy cause is God's: go at his call,
And to his hand commit thy all.
Fear thou no ill impending.
His Gideon shall arise for thee,
God's word and people manfully,
In God's own time, defending.

Our hope is sure in Jesus' might;
Against themselves the godless fight,
Themselves, not us, distressing.
Shame and contempt their lot shall be;
God is with us, with him are we;
To us belongs his blessing.

IN TEMPTATION

CHARLES WESLEY

[1708-1788]

JESUS, lover of my soul,

Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high: