1 What are these ethereal strains
Floating o’er Judea’s plains?
Burning spirits through the sky,
With their lofty minstrelsy!
Hark! they break the midnight trance
With the joyous utterance,
"Glory to God, and peace to men,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
2 Quench, ye types, your feeble ray,
Shadows, ye may melt away!
Prophecy, your work is done;
Gospel ages have begun!
Temple! quench your altar fires,
For these radiant angel choirs
To a ruined world proclaim—
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
3 Pillowed is His infant head
On a borrowed manger bed!
He around whose throne above
Angels hymned their songs of love,
Now is wrapped by virgin hands
In earth’s meanest swaddling bands;
Once adored by seraphim,
Now a Babe of Bethlehem!
4 Eastern sages from afar,
Guided by a mystic star,
Followed, till its luster mild
Brought them to the heav’nly Child.
May each providence to me
Like a guiding meteor be,
Bringing nearer unto Him,
Once the Babe of Bethlehem!
Source: The Cyber Hymnal #13022
Macduff, John Ross, D.D., second son of Alexander Macduff, of Bonhard, near Perth, was born at Bonhard, May 23, 1818. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he became in 1842 parish minister of Kettins, Forfarshire, in 1849 of St. Madoes, Perthshire, and in 1855 of Sandyford, Glasgow. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Glasgow in 1862, and about the same time also from the University of New York. He retired from pastoral work in 1871, lived at Chislehurst, Kent and died in 1887. He has published many practical and devotional works which have attained a wide circulation. In 1857 he was appointed by the General Assembly a member of their Hymnal Committee. His 31 hymns appeared in his Altar Stones, 1853, and were als… Go to person page >
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