Babes and the gladfome throng Unite to fwell the fong To CHRIST OUR KING.* CLEMENS ALEX. III. GOD. HE great, auguft, Immortal King, Let earth be filent while I raise The voice of prayer, the note of praise. Hushed be the moaning of the breeze; The murmur of the waving trees: SYNESIUS.+ * The above hymn, though found in the works of Clemens Alexandrinus, is believed to have been of earlier date than his time, and may have been the hymn which Pliny fpeaks of in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, A.D. 104, as being fung "Chrifto, quafi Deo, fecum invicem." + A Platonist, converted to Chriftianity in the 3rd century. IV. LIFE. F veiled our eyes, their piercing fight And Pilgrims wandering here below, When fleeing this domain of life, Thy breast, untaught to yield or fwerve. An orb of fire will blaze before Thee, Where beauty first began her reign, Awake, my foul, and quaff thy fill, To dwell in union with thy God; perchance SYNESIUS. V. CHRIST. JEDEEMER of the Nations, come! Ransom of earth, here make Thy home! R Bright Sun, O dart Thy flame to earth, For fo fhall God in Chrift have birth! Thou comeft from Thy kingly Throne, Doft walk in might earth's darkest place. Thou stoopest once to fuffer here, Hell's gates at Thy descent were riven, One with the Father! Prince of might! Thy heavenly ftrength, Thy living glow. How bright Thy lowly manger beams! ST. AMBROSE, 4th Cent. VI. SLEEP. AKER of all, the Lord, And Ruler of the height, Who, robing day in light, haft poured That to our limbs the power Of toil may be renewed, And hearts be raised that fink and cower, And forrows be fubdued. ST. AMBROSE. |