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The Christmas Star

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 24, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 50.

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The Christmas Star

By Melville Winans Miller

O, wondrous bright The stars of night Shone down on sleeping Bethlehem! But brighter far Another star Outshone and dimmed the host of them.
Lo, in the East, When they had ceased, The wise men see it softly gleam; With wond'ring eyes They watch it rise, Until o'er all it casts its beam.
Ah, can it be At last they see On high the answer to their prayer? Ay, so they do, For God is true— It is the Christ-star shining there!
With joyful hearts, They leave the marts Where all is noise and strife for gain; Exultant they Now take their way Across the silent, starlit plain.
With eager feet And hope most sweet They follow where the star doth show; With reverent gaze And humble praise O'er hill and vale on, on they go,
Until at last, The Jordan passed, They halt upon Judea's plain; And kneeling there In fervent prayer, They know their quest is not in vain.
For now they hear From far and near The angel chorus sweetly sing. All, all around The heavens sound The praises of the new-born King.
And lo, in white, Clothed as with light, There comes an angel from on high. He saith to them, In Bethlehem In swaddling clothes the Babe doth lie.
They cease from prayer, They hasten there, Star-led and guided as before; They find the Child, The Undefiled, And Him they worship and adore.
O, vision sweet! The gifts, most meet, Of gold and frankincense and myrrh; The treasures rare, The Babe so fair, The calm and shining face of her
Who gave Him birth; The wise men of earth With humble shepherds bowing low; And there on high, Amid the sky, The wondrous Christ-star all aglow!
Ay, over all, As if to call The myriad hosts of light to earth, It blazeth there, And shineth where The Babe of Bethlehem had birth.
O blessed star, Shine thou afar, Until all men shall follow thee; Shine on, shine on, Until day dawn, Until the world the Child shall see.
Shine on until Jehovah's will By all of earth is known and done; Till all mankind The Christ shall find, And own as King the Sinless One! —Melville Winans Miller.