FIGURE OF MERCY WITH THE BIBLE.

HIS Book, this holy Book, on every line
Marked with the seal of high divinity;

On every leaf bedewed with drops of love
Divine, and with the eternal heraldry
And signature of God Almighty stamped,
From first to last;-this ray of sacred light,
This lamp, from off the everlasting throne,
Mercy took down, and in the night of Time,
Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow.

POLLOK.

in

THE BIBLE.

ITHIN this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries:
Happiest they of human race,
To whom their God has given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch-to force the way;
But better had they ne'er been born,
Who read to doubt, or read to scorn.

SCOTT.

THE BIBLE.

HAT is the world!—A wildering maze,
Where Sin has tracked ten thousand ways,
Her victims to insnare;

All broad, and winding, and aslope;

All tempting with perfidious hope,—
All ending in despair.

Millions of pilgrims throng those roads,
Bearing their baubles, or their loads,
Down to eternal night.

That God is one, eternal, holy, just,
Omnipotent, omniscient, infinite;

Most wise, most good, most merciful and true;
In all perfection most unchangeable:
That man, that every man, of every clime
And hue, of every age and every rank,
Was bad, by nature and by practice bad;
In understanding blind, in will perverse,

In heart corrupt; in every thought, and word,
Imagination, passion, and desire,

Most utterly depraved throughout, and ill
In sight of Heaven, though less in sight of man ;
At enmity with God his Maker born,

And by his very life an heir of death:

That man, that every man, was, further, most
Unable to redeem himself, or pay

One mite of his vast debt to God,-nay, more,
Was most reluctant and averse to be
Redeemed, and sin's most voluntary slave:
That Jesus, Son of God, of Mary born
In Bethlehem, and by Pilate crucified
On Calvary, for man, thus fallen and lost,
Died; and, by death, life and salvation bought,
And perfect righteousness, for all who should
In his great name believe.

POLLOK

THE NATIVITY.

"Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."-MAtt. li. 2.

STAR appeared, and peaceful threw

Around its holy ray;

It caught the faithful Magi's view,

It led the wondrous way,

From far-famed Persia's smiling bowers,
Fair land of beauty, fruits, and flowers.

Each heart throughout the gazing throng
What anxious gladness fills,

While slowly moved that star along
O'er Judah's sacred hills,

And softly fixed its mellow light
On distant Bethlehem's joyful night.

There-unknown to rich and great,
Or the perfumed halls of state,
Where the golden lamps so bright
Mock the silence of the night,
And the strains of music tender

Rise and fall 'mid scenes of splendour,—

The Prince of Peace, so young, so fair,

In lowly state was sleeping;
While near, with kind parental care,
His mother watch was keeping.
The Magi viewed the blessed of Heaven,
Their joy was full-their gifts were given.

Let the sound of the sweet harp of Judah arise!

Let the hymns of the Gentiles ascend to the skies!

CAMPBELL.

THE NATIVITY.

RIGHTEST and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;

Star of the East, the horizon adorning,

Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining,

Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;

Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,

Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion.
Odours of Edom, and offerings divine

Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation;

Vainly with gifts would his favour secure; Richer by far is the heart's adoration;

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,

Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!

HEPER.

THE NATIVITY.

LUKE ii. 8-14.

ORNE on the sober wings of night,
A song is heard on high;
It cannot be a song of earth,
'Tis music of the sky-

A band of bright and holy ones are bringing
Glad tidings down, and full of rapture singing.

What blessed things are in that strain!

'Tis full of joy and love: Welcome, ye happy sons of light,

With comfort from above;

Ye come to tell us of a great salvation
For sinful men of every tongue and nation.

Ye tell us of a Saviour born:

It is no common birth;

The like hath never yet been seen

Upon this fallen earth,

Wonder of wonders! God hath passed the portal

Of heaven's bright kingdom, and become a mortal?