Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymn of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy name; Christ is the Lord, Oh, praise His name forever! His power and glory evermore proclaim. His power and glory evermore proclaim. _MUSIC._ The tune, HOLY NIGHT, is by Adolphe Adam, 1803-56, distinguished French composer of comic operas and teacher of composition. He became a professor in the Conservatory of Music in Paris in 1849. HIS EPIPHANY 87. What star is this _C. Coffin_, 1676-1749 A Latin hymn, _Quae stella sole pulchrior_, was included in the _Paris Breviary_, 1736, and, again, in Coffin’s _Hymni Sacri_, 1736. Charles Coffin, rector of the University of Paris, wrote a large number of hymns, “not so much,” he says, “to gratify the poetic Spirit as to achieve elegance and piety.” The translation is by John Chandler, 1806-76, in his _Hymns of the Primitive Church_, 1837. Chandler was educated at Oxford and became a minister in the Church of England. Besides making a collection of hymns, he is the author of several biographies and volumes of devotional literature. His translation of this hymn has passed into many English hymn books but invariably with some alterations. _MUSIC._ PUER NOBIS is an arrangement of a German folk tune published by the German composer, Michael Praetorius, 1571-1621, which he wrote in 1609. It was harmonized in 1904 by G. R. Woodward, an English musician. It is a spirited tune and should be sung briskly and merrily. 88. Bethlehem, of noblest cities _Prudentius_, 348-_c._ 413 _Tr. E. Caswall_, 1814-78 Based on Matt. 2:6: “And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule my people Israel,” and the story of the three wise men bringing their gifts to Jesus. The author, Prudentius, 348-c. 413, a Spaniard, was one of the best and most prolific of early Latin Christian poets. He received legal training and served as lawyer and judge in several cities. At the age of 57 he entered a monastery and for the rest of his life was a writer of poetry in defense of and in praise of the Christian faith. He is regarded by some as the first really great Christian poet and was widely read in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, Erasmus being one of his admirers. The translation is by Edward Caswall who shortly before had left the Church of England to become a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. Caswall was a Latin scholar and did much translating of Latin hymns. For further comments on Caswall see Hymn 19.