Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 2.djvu/68

40 the wonderful cherubim,—the speaking wheels, with open eyes and replete with wisdom and intelligence, now stationary, now lifted up,—myriads of Seraphim, as quick as light, with outstretched wings, whose it is to sing thrice Holy,—the glorious, admirable, and awful company of exalted thrones,—the company of those who keep watch over the kingdom of the, all the beautiful armies, lordships, dominions, invincible powers, archangels, angels, and messengers, surround Ephratha in nine circles, fly to and fro, ascend and descend as eagles, dance, rejoice, clap their hands and feet like children of freedom, sing and sound their trumpets on the day of the Nativity, and on their lyres praise the Child Born,—sing the most exalted hallelujahs, thrice Holies, psalms, glories, and holy songs, unto in the highest, increase of security and peace upon the earth, and the descent of good-will and its continuance among men. The unbelieving Magi, the worshippers of idols, Chaldeans, and sorcerers, and such as adore the great lights,—men well versed in astronomy and astrology, and deeply read in these sciences,—were troubled and perplexed, they snorted like wild beasts, and cried out and demanded one of another, 'Who is this before whom the mountains tremble, and the images are moved, and the idols quake, and the heathen priests are confounded, and their altars fall to ruin, and the high places are annihilated?' They fled to the treasuries of their volumes, opened the scrolls, searched them diligently, and discovered therein that what had been foretold generations before by Zoroaster the highly venerated and esteemed was now fulfilled. Then the lips of these scribes were shut, and they were confounded; and they chose out from among them kings of high renown and of great riches, and they delivered into their hands gifts, tithes, and vow-offerings, and sent them away with a commission, and bade them to be watchful. And as they went forth, behold a star of great brightness, bearing on its surface the image of a woman with a child in her bosom, guided and accompanied them into the laud of Judea, In all haste, like men in earnest, they accomplished their journey, and entering the cave they offered their gifts, and bent to the knee. After this they returned to their own land continually glorifying. The spiritual essences, those who dwell in the regions of the Spirit, were enraptured, and the