He had horns coming out of his hand : And burning coals went forth at his feet. He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: And the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers? Was thy wrath against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thine horses And thy chariots of salvation ? Thy bow was made quite naked, According to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: The overflowing of the water passed by: The deep uttered his voice, And lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: At the light of thine arrows they went, And at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, Even for salvation with thine anointed; Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, By discovering the foundation unto the neck. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. U Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, Rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble: When he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, The flock shall be cut off from the fold, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And he will make my feet like hinds' feet, And he will make me to walk upon mine high places. CLXIV MARY MAGNIFIES THE LORD Luke i. 46-55. ND Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord, For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, He hath filled the hungry with good things; In remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, To Abraham, and to his seed for ever. CLXV THE PROPHECY OF ZACHARIAS Luke i. 67-79. IND his father Zacharias was filled with Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us In the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, Might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, Through the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. CLXVI THE NATIVITY Luke ii. 4-19. IND Joseph also went out from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David;) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. CLXVII THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM Matthew ii. I-12. JOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was |