appliance and means that can be devised, to keep it to a right frame, there seems to be much wisdom in them. They tend to sanctify the whole day to the service of God, by constantly providing the mind with some holy employment to fall back upon. They are seasons of spiritual refreshment multiplied to the wearied soul; opportunities for the child of God to be ever drawing near to his heavenly Father: channels, as it were, opened at equal distances, for the streams of divine grace to flow equally over the whole space.

SEASONS OF THE CHURCH.

ADVENT.

NOCTURN.

Instantis adventum Dei. (No. 36.)

THE Advent of our God

Our prayers must now employ, And we must meet him on his road With hymns of holy joy.

The everlasting Son

Incarnate soon shall be:

He will a servant's form put on,
To make his people free.

Daughter of Zion, rise

And greet thy lowly King, And do not wickedly despise The mercies he will bring.

As Judge, in clouds of light,
He will come down again,

And all his scattered saints unite

With Him in Heaven to reign.

Before that dreadful day
May all our sin be gone;
May the old man be put away,
And the new man put on!

Praise to the Saviour Son

From all the angel Host:
Like praise be to the Father done,
And to the Holy Ghost.

MATINS.

(Jordanis oras prævia. No. 37.) ON Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry, Announces that the Lord is nigh: Come then and hearken, for he brings. Glad tidings from the King of kings.

E'en now the air, the sea, the land
Feel that their Maker is at hand;
The very elements rejoice,

And welcome Him with cheerful voice.

Then cleansed be every Christian breast,
And furnished for so great a Guest!
Yea! let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.

For Thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward,
Without thy grace our souls must fade,
And wither like a flower decayed.

Stretch forth thine hand, to heal our sore,
And make us rise, to fall no more;
Once more upon thy people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.

To Him, who left the throne of Heaven
To save mankind, all praise be given :
Like praise be to the Father done,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One.

OR THIS.

(Verbum supernum prodiens. No. 38.)

THY Father's bosom thou didst leave,
Eternal Word of God;

On earth awhile, to save mankind,
Thou madest thine abode.

Enlighten, then, our breasts, we pray,

Inflame them with thy love:

And fill our renovated hearts

With rapture from above.

That so, when sinners shall be doomed
To endless flames in hell,

And thou shalt summon thine elect,
With Thee on high to dwell,

We may not to that curst abode,
In that fierce storm be driven,
But see the face of God on high,
And share the joys of heaven.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
One God, whom we adore,
All praise and glory be ascribed,
Both now and evermore.

EVENSONG.

(Statuto decreto Dei. No. 39.)

THE rolling years at length fulfil,
The counsels of th' Eternal will;
More precious for the long delay,
Shines forth from heaven the joyful day.

Since Adam fell, his sinful race
Lay sunk in ruin and disgrace;
In shade of night forlorn they sate,
And waited for their awful fate.

Alas! and who can undertake

Amends for man's offence to make?
Where can a remedy be found
Sufficient for so sore a wound?

Thou, Jesu Christ, yea, thou alone,
Descending from thy Father's throne,
The heavenly likeness canst restore,
God's image, which at first we bore.
Send him, ye heavens, from above,
That so the earth, with grateful love,
May th' everlasting seed embrace
The Saviour of our long-lost race.