MUTABILITY.

AND the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. I. JOHN, ii, 17.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever. ISAIAH, xl, 8.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. ECCLESIASTES, ix, 11.

WHAT ground, alas, has any man

To set his heart on things below,

Which, when they seem most like to stand,
Fly, like the arrow from the bow!

Who's now atop, ere long shall feel
The circling motion of the wheel!

THOMAS ELLWood.

How fading are the joys we dote upon,
Like apparitions, seen and gone;

But those who soonest take their flight,
Are the most exquisite and strong,

Like angels' visits, short and bright;
Mortality's too weak to bear them long.

THE flower that smiles to-day,

To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay,

Tempts, and then flies:

What is this world's delight?

NORRIS, of Bemerton.

Lightning, that mocks the night,
Brief even, as bright.

SHELLEY.

WHEN the mother bids her son farewell,

With tears and bodings none but she can tell;
And, long, corroding, care-worn years gone round,
They meet again upon that holy ground,
Fair flaxen curls now locks of silver grey,
And promise, pride, and manhood fled away,
No glad remembrance beams in either face,
But kindly instinct locks the long embrace.

LIKE crowded forest trees we stand,

And some are marked to fall:

From CAPRICES.

The axe shall smite, at God's command,
And soon shall smite us all.

Green as the bay tree, ever green,

With its new foliage on,

The gay, the thoughtless have I seen;

I passed, and they were gone.

ALL earthly things must pass away,

And leave a ruined shrine;

But there are those which ne'er decay

COWPER.

The Holy, the Divine.

ANNA PEYRE DINNIES.

HEAR a brief fable. One, with heedless tread,

Came o'er the wild, fair grass that ne'er was mown. Then said the grass,-"Your heel is on my head; And, where in harmless freedom I have grown, Sorely your iron foot hath tramped me down; But God, who to my veins such freshness gave, Shall heal me, with a healing of His own, Till I, perchance, may lift my head, to wave Above the marble tomb, that presses down your grave.”

MRS. NORTON.

"TIS well to learn that sunny hours

May quickly change to mournful shade;
"Tis well to prize life's scattered flowers,

Yet be prepared to see them fade.
I thank Thee, God, for weal and woe;
And, whatsoe'er the trial be,

'T will serve to wean me from below,
And bring my spirit nigher Thee!

ELIZA COOK.

THE NATIVITY.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth, even for ever. ISAIAH, ix, 6, 7.

Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. ISAIAH, Vii, 14.

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 horn 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 to men. LUKE, 10—14.

SOME say,
that ever, 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrate,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit walks abroad;
The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike;
No fairy tales, no witch hath power to charm;

So hallowed and so gracious is the time.

SHAKSPEARE.

AND now, at length, the fated term of years

The world's desire have brought, and lo, the God appears
The Heavenly Babe the Virgin Mother bears,
And her fond looks confess the parent's cares;
The pleasing burden on her breast she lays,
Hangs o'er His charms, and with a smile surveys;
The Infant smiles, to her warm bosom pressed,
And wantons, sportive, on the Mother's breast.
A radiant glory speaks Him all Divine,

And in the Child the beams of Godhead shine.

WHEREFORE, from His throne exalted,

Came He on this earth to dwell;
All His pomp, an humble manger
All His court, a narrow cell?
"From that world to bring to this,

Peace, which of all earthly blisses

Is the brightest, purest bliss."

BP. LOWTA

VIOLANTE DI CEO.

THIS is the time when the grey old man
Leaps back to the days of youth;
When brows and eyes bear no disguise,

་

But flush and gleam with truth.

O, then is the time when the soul exalts,
And seems right heavenward turning;
When we love and bless the hands we press,

When the Christmas log is burning.

JESSE's son,

ELIZA COOK,

From 'midst the folds, to the exalted throne

Of sovereignty was called; the throne from whence
The blessings of salvation should descend.
How fitting, then, that the auspicious birth
Of Christ, benignant Shepherd of the soul,
Should thus be published.

SAMUEL HAYES.

WHEN man in darkness lay, and death forlorn,

The Heavenly Love, which did at first create,
Caused on death's shadow a new light to dawn.

Once more the Spirit over chaos sate:
The Son of God was of the Virgin born-
Emmanuel, Saviour! Thy Incarnate Love,
Lord, I believe! Mine unbelief remove!

H. H. WELD.

Lo, where the Magi, from the Eastern clime,
Led by the shining star, their choicest gifts,
Propitiatory odours, suppliant bring;
And meekly at the Infant's blessed feet,
With adoration, and with hymns of praise,
Arabia's tributary honours lay.

With them, let us, before the throne of grace
Low bending, the appointed tribute bring,
The accepted incense of the grateful heart.

SAMUEL HAYES.

BRIGHT emanation of that hallowed fire
Circling celestial Majesty, which God
So oft has chosen to impart His will,
Thou messenger of bliss, how this exceeds
Thy former missions! When to Abraham sent,
Thy flame consumed the parted sacrifice;
Or from the burning bush on Horeb's top
Beamed forth divine commands, or from the rock
In Jezreel's vale on Gideon's doubting mind
Conviction flashed, then was Thy partial aid
Exerted to defend the single tribe

Of wandering Israel; but when o'er the plains
Of Bethlehem thy conducting lustre shone,
A guardian Saviour smiled amid thy beams,
His promise, Heaven's rewards; a world, His carc.
WILLIAM BOLLAND.