  (illuminated capital) “Where is thy new-born Lord, O Judah? Zion—where thy King? The treasures of our distant land to Him we tribute bring; Lo! in the East we saw His star, the day-spring from on high, And we have come to worship Him enthroned in majesty!” Thus spake the Eastern sages, thus the pious Gentiles spake, But Judah would not know her Lord, His people would not wake; The earth’s Creator was on earth, unnoticed or forgot, The Saviour came unto His own, His own received Him not. The Gentile world that lay in darkness, they have seen the light, Wherefore doth Zion turn away on whom it rose so bright! Oh! thou that bearest joyful tidings, why so mute art thou? Lift up thy voice, Jerusalem, behold thy Saviour now! Oh! joy to those who seek Messiah while He may be found; Again the heavenly harbinger sheds its soft lustre round, Not on proud tower or stately palace streams the radiance mild, But where the carpenter’s meek wife bends o’er her blessed Child. Hail, Mary, highly-favoured, hail! God’s power o’ershadoweth thee, Blessed amongst all women thou in thy humility! Yea, rather blessed they who seek Christ’s precepts to fulfil,— His mother, brethren, sisters, they who know and do His will. The sages to the infant Saviour bring their offerings meet, Rich odours fill the perfumed air, gold glitters at His feet; Oh! happy thus His poverty’s sharp trial to defer, To minister to Him who came to all to minister! May we not deem when He in glory comes, th’ eternal Lord Will all those offerings of faith remember and reward,— That richer than the wealth of worlds that hallowed gold will be, Those sacred odours fragrance breathe through all eternity? But now the Saviour sits enthroned above the Seraphim; When all creation owns his sway, and angels worship Him, Can our poor gifts acceptance find before His glorious throne? The earth is His and all therein, not e’en our lives our own. Lo! here the “Man of sorrows” representatives hath left, The sick, the prisoners, the poor, of all but hope bereft; Aid to “the least of these His brethren” to the Lord is given, Off’rings of love to those He loves, He will accept in Heaven. But still the noblest gift that man can lay before God’s throne Is the rich tribute of a heart that trusts in Him alone; The poorest—least—this gift may bring, but oh! it will outweigh The treasures of the universe upon the judgment-day! |
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