CHAPTER IV.--THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

And didst thou sing, then, with the mystic morning star That shone o’er Bethlehem from heaven’s gate ajar? And didst thy grateful praises like a river flow When Christ was born there nineteen hundred years ago? And didst thou follow Him to soothe and bless His life, Marking His neglect and care, agony and strife? The meek and lowly Saviour who came a world to save: For the fallen and sinful His life He freely gave.

All His precious days to man were gladly given In teaching him the way that leadeth up to heaven, In visiting the poor, and soothing grief and pain, Healing every ill, and restoring life again. And thou heardst His accusers when in rage and hate They rudely pushed Him forward unto Pilate’s gate, Where Pilate pled His innocence, finding no just cause Of complaint against Him to the state or laws.

But still they loudly clamored for His precious blood, And shamefully crucified Him, the spotless Son of God. O fatal sixth hour on Calvary’s rugged hill! When the sun withdrew, and in shuddering stood still, And the temple veil in the midst was rent in twain, And the earth trembled as if in throes of pain, And all nature quaked with terror and amaze-- ’Twas hard for the Lord’s followers on it to gaze. The world had never seen, nor ever will again, So great a sacrifice, nor such suff’ring and pain.

And didst thou, O sleepless Time, shed a single tear? For thou didst pause awhile benumbed with fear. And didst thou when He rose to His Father’s house on high Hear the singing of the angels pealing through the sky? And didst thou there rejoice that He so freely gave His life man’s poor and ruined soul from sin to save?

Thou knewest all the prophets and their checkered life Of noble struggle--grand heroes in the strife With sin and despotism. To save man’s ruined soul They endured every privation, and their goal Was heaven and immortality. They would draw All mankind after them by keeping God’s just law. With Paul, they counted suffering and loss but gain. Avoiding earth’s allurements and the bauble fame, They went among the lowly to help, save, and cheer, Facing death, every danger, undeterred by fear. And from home and country they went at duty’s call, In the work of rescuing man from his sad fall.