hame, but praise.

For Thou hast crowned her with flowers,
And, more than all, with saving love:
What debt so great can be as hers;
What diadem may worthy prove?

II.
"BEHOLD THE MAN."

Jesus Christ is my Creator,--
He formed sea and earth and air;
Nature's pillars stand unshaken
On his power and constant care.
By his fingers for a dwelling
Was heaven's vault sublime upreared:
Jesus suffered when to save us
He as man on earth appeared.

Lofty Angels! God-like spirits,
Clad in robes of 'living light':
He who gave you all your glories,
Him you worship day and night,
Made his tent in human nature
That in Him should man confide:
Your Delight, your Source, and Centre
Died--for man a Ransom died.

Vast encircling Space! whose confines
Stretch beyond creation's pole!
Worlds of magnitude appalling
In thee unobstructed roll:
He in whom thou art contained,
Spread at first and peopled thee,
Lay, an infant, in the manger,
Died, a man, upon the tree.

Countless Stars! through darkness peering;
Silent sentinels of night!
Worlds are ye of radiant brightness--
Points to feeble human sight:
He who spake and ye were kindled,
And will be, when ye grow dim,
Sun of souls, and Noon of heaven--
Grief and death enshrouded HIM.

Planets! with the Earth concentric,
Speeding on your trackless ways,--
Speeding in unbroken order
From your distant primal days!
He whose arm put you in motion--
Who your orbits vast designed,
Here was born a helpless infant,
Here for sin his life resigned.

Sun! the unexhausted fountain,
Whence flow warmth and genial light,
By whom Day to us is given
Loaded with untold delight!
He who hath with glory charged thee
That we may not rudely gaze,
Was on Calvary obscured--
Well thou dark'nedst with amaze.

Moon! who star-attended glidest
Through the sky with queenly grace;
Shining now in placid splendour,
Veiling now with clouds thy face:
He who hides thee--brings light to thee
From that sun, whose Sun is He,
Was eclipsed,--his beams were clouded,
On the ignominious tree.

Thunder! who within thy cradle
Of the sable cl