St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-09
The Story of Bethlehem.
Read at the Festival in East st. Jotnsb,syy
Christmas eue, 1879.


We sing tonight
We chant the praises of no martial chief,
Renowned in fight.
No conaueror who comes with garments dyed,
In human gore; ..-..
Counting the victims of his sword and spear,
By many score.
No towns laid waste nor cities desOlate
Inspire our theme.
Along the path on which our vision rests,
No sabers gleam.
Many through deeds of cruel war have sought
To win renown;
Striving DER others woes to mount, and grasp
An earthly crown.
The One whose birth we celebrate tonight,
Is not of these;
His is higher and nobler name ... .
The Prince of Peace.
He though in all points tempted like as we,
Yet sins had none;
But was by heavens great King declared his own
Beloved Son.
In him two natures, human and divine,
Mysterious blend.
The Son of man, the Son of God, and yet
The sinners Friend.
Yet not with pomp and pride, like earthly kings,
This stranger came;
A death of shame.
A lowly birth beftted him who took
The sinners place;
Who came to suffer shame that he might save
A ruined race
So while the shepherds on Judeas plains,
Kept watch by night; ...
Around them suddenly from heaven shone
radient light
| Fen such light as shone in after years
On cruel SAUL
When his proud heart gave way, and he became
| The humble Paul.
And to the shepherds thus Gods angel spake,
Fear not 1 bring
Good tidings, for to you is born this day
| A Saviour, King
The shepherds rose, and heaven directed came
To Bethlehem;
Where, in a manger laid, the Royal Babe
Was found by them.
Mary, his virgin-mother ever blessed,
And Joseph too,
Watched DER his sleep, with legions all unseen
To mortal view.
Within that lowly manger sleeping lay,
Gods gift to man;
His love for this our ruined world brought forth
This wondrous plan;
That his own Son should in his body bear
| Upon the tree
The sins of all mankind, yes friends, the sins
Of you and me.
For this the angels sang of peace on earth,
Good will to men.
For this, Obi let us praise Gods glorious name,
As they did then.
And think of Gods great gift to men,
In mercy given,
Let us, by deeds of Kindness seek to make
Earth more like Heaven.
In giving gifts, let recall his love,
Who gives us all;
And ever grasp his guiding, strengthening hand,
Lest we should fall.
1t matters not the day; we know not which
Beheld his birth;
But we do know Christ came, and coming brough
Joy to the earth.
He came to preach deliverance to those
Whom sin had bound;
To open prison doors, and set those free,
| In bondage found.
He came that he might open sightless eyes,
UnstOp deaf ears;
That those once dead might live and reign with hi
Through endless years.
He came to be the Way, the Truth the Life,
The Door of heaven;
That men, repenting of their sins, might be
Through him forgiven.
He came to do, to suffer, and to die,
That we might live
Through him is offered all that love divine
To man can give.
Man can be justified, yet God be just
Since Christ has died.
Through his atOning blood the door of heaven
Is opened wide.
The jasper walls, and pearly gates appear
To Faiths glad eye;
|
round
The bye and bye.
No hunger there calls forth to painful toll
From day to day;
3 The living water from beneath the throne,
Drives thirst away.
No scorching sun, or burning heat by day,
Smite them here;
While from their eyes Gods kind and loving han
r Wipes every tear.
And angels cast their crowns of gold before
7 The Great am;
While from unnumbered thousands peals the son
I Worthy the Lamb.
o, Love amazing, and beyond compare;
o, Gift divinel
: = And may call that glorious heaven my hOme
! ! That Savior mnel
+ Yes, for the blessed Spirit and the Bride
Say, Freely take;
And, WhOsOever will, is welcomed here,
For Jesus sake.
Then let our hearts be cheerful here tonight,
, And glow with love;
For those around us here upon the earth,
And God above
, Be it our joy to do neighbor good,
Whene'er we may;
To scatter blessings all along our paths,
From day to day.
And Savior's birth we celebrate
With joy tonight,
Be this our high resolve, Our lives shall more
Reflect His light.
: Thus many for our gathering here tonight
Shall happier be;
And bless the evening when we gathered round
= Our Christmas tree.
And as these children gaze upon the tree
With eager eyes,
Each hoping that for them may be in store
: Some glad surprise,
So may they look to Jesus for those gifts
e None else can give;
And may it be their true and strong DESIRE
. For Him to live
: Watching the leadings of Gods providence
With eager eye;
J., When duty calls them NAV each heart respond,
: Here, Lord, am L
May sins poor, feeting pleasures ne'er be theirs
(. But in their stead
$ May blessings, from the God of heaven descend
, Upon each head.
+ And may all here. set free from mortal cares.
5 From pain and strife,
5 In jesus glorious presence gather round
The tree of life.
When he went to America. almos
! the first question asked him wa,
D ''What do you think of our institu
tions 7" and in very short time h
: gave the answer that he thought tn
|. public libraries the best they had. an