2. Grant us the listening ear,
The understanding heart,
The mind and will sincere,
To choose the better part,
To take the learner's lowly seat,
And gather wisdom at thy feet.

3. Through this, and every day,
Teach us thy paths to tread;
Nor let our feet astray

By Satan's wiles be led ;
But keep us in the narrow road,

The road to glory and to God.

SPECIAL SERVICE. - No. 2.

I. FOR CHRISTMAS.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears;

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.

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II. 8s & 7s M.

Hark! what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo, the angelic host rejoices;
Heavenly hallelujahs rise.

Christ is born, the great Anointed;
Heaven and earth his praises sing!
Oh, receive whom God appointed

For your Prophet, Priest, and King.

III. SCRIPTURE LESSON. ST. LUKE II.

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, & 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 carth 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, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

IV. RESPONSES.

Superintendent. To them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

School. Light is sprung up.

Sup. And this is the name whereby he shall be called, School. The Lord our Righteousness.

Sup. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth;

School. And the isles shall wait for his law.

Sup. He shall have dominion from sea to sea, School. And from the rivers unto the ends of the earth. Sup. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, School. And the leopard shall lie down with the kid, Sup. And the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together;

School. And a little child shall lead them.

Sup. He shall stand as an ensign of the people,
School. And all nations shall come unto it.

Sup. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,

School. Even as the waters cover the sea.

V. PRAYER.

BOUNTIFUL Giver of every blessing! We

praise thee for the gift of thy well-beloved Son, whom thou didst send to be the Saviour of the world. We hail with joy this day which commemorates his birth. We would lift up our voices in songs of praise, in honor of thine Anointed, the desire of all nations. And we pray that our hearts may be more deeply impressed with thy great love, revealed to the world through this unspeakable gift. We thank thee that thou hast made thyself known to us, in his pure precepts and spotless life; and that thou hast revealed through him the beauty and perfection of our nature. Help us, O God, so to receive him into our hearts, that we may glorify thy name, and establish peace and good-will among men. May the story of his life be impressed upon our minds, that we may remember him as the blameless Child, the obedient Son, and unchanging Friend.

Sanctify us by his spirit, and save us in his kingdom, and thine shall be the praise forevermore. Amen.

HYMN. 6s & 5s.

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1. Hark! the an-
- gels singing,
2. Sisters dear, and brothers,
3. Let us then pursue him,

9:2

Wake the happy morn,
Sing, O sing a -
way!
In the way he trod,

Joyful tidings bringing-"Christ, the Lord is born!
This, above all others,

Is the children's day.
Ever calling to him- "Blessed Son of God!

9:

In a low ly man - ger, (This shall be the sign,)
Hear its blessed story, Once, as young as we,
Once, in childhood's weakness, Christ, like us, wert thou;