4" Christ is born, the great Anointed; Heaven and earth! his praises sing: Oh! receive whom God appointed, For your prophet, priest, and king. 5 "Hasten, mortals! to adore him; Learn his name, and taste his joy; Till in heaven ye sing before him,Glory be to God most high!"
The Birth of Christ.
1 HARK! what celestial notes,
What melody we hear!
Soft on the morn it floats,
And fills the ravished ear:
The tuneful shell,
The golden lyre,
And vocal choir
The concert swell.
2 Th' angelic hosts descend,
With harmony divine;
See how from heaven they bend,
And in full chorus join!
"Fear not," say they,
"Great joy we bring ;-
Jesus, your King,
3 "He comes, from error's night,
Your wandering feet to save;
To realms of bliss and light,
He lifts you from the grave:
This glorious morn,
Let all attend;
Your matchless friend,
Your Saviour's born.
4" Glory to God on high!
Ye mortals! spread the sound,
And let your raptures fly,
To earth's remotest bound:
For peace on earth,
From God in heaven,
To man is given,
Af Jesus' birth."
88 and 78.
The Incarnation.
1 SHEPHERDS! hail the wondrous stranger;
Now to Bethle'm speed your way;
Lo! in yonder humble manger,
Christ, the Lord, is born to-day :-
2 Christ, by prophets long-predicted,
Joy of Israel's chosen race;
Light to Gentiles long-afflicted,
Lost in error's darkest maze.
3 Bright the star of your salvation,
Pointing to his rude abode!
Rapturous news for every nation:-
Mortals! now behold your God!
4 Glad, we trace th' amazing story,
Angels leave their bliss to tell;
Theme sublime, replete with glory-
Sinners saved from death and hell.
5 Love eternal moved the Saviour,
Thus to lay his radiance by;
Blessings on the Lamb for ever-
Glory be to God on high!
The Star in the East.
1 SONS of men! behold from far,
Hail the long expected star ;—
Jacob's star, that gilds the night,
Guides bewildered nature right.
2 Never fear, that hence should flow
Wars or pestilence below:
Wars it bids, and tumults, cease,
Ushering in the Prince of peace.
3 Mild it shines on all beneath,
Piercing through the shades of death,-
Scattering error's wide-spread night,
Kindling darkness into light.
4 Nations all! far off and near,
Haste to see your God appear;
Haste, for him your hearts prepare,
Meet him manifested there.
72. Joy of Angels at the Saviour's Birth
1 WHILE shepherds watched their flocks by
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down.
And glory shone around.
2 "Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind,
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
To you and all mankind.
3 "To you, in David's town, this day,
Is born of David's line,
The Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord,"
And this shall be the sign;-
4 "The heavenly babe you there shall find,
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapt in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid."
5 Thus spake the seraph-and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:-
6 "All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Good-will henceforth from heaven to men,
Begin, and never cease!"
Good Tidings of great Joy.
1 ANGELS! from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship→→→
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
2 Shepherds! in the field abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,-
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
3 Sages! leave your contemplations→
Brighter visions beam afar ;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen his natal star:
Come and worship-
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
4 Saints! before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In his temple shall appear:
Come and worship-
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
5 Sinners! wrung with true repentance,
Doom for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you-break your chains:
Come and worship-
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
1ls and 10s.
Star of the East.
1 BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East!-the horizon adorning→→
Guide where the infant Redeemer is laid.
2 Cold on his cradle, the dew-drops are shining;
Low lies his head, with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore him, in slumber reclining-
Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all.
3 Say, shall we yield him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Edom, and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
4 Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gold, would his favor secure;
Richer, by far, is the heart's adoration,-
Dearer to God, are the prayers of the poor.
5 Brightest and best of the sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid;
Star of the east !-the horizon adorning-
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
1 AWAKE, awake the sacred song
To our incarnate Lord!
Let every heart, and every tongue
Adore th' eternal Word.
2 That awful Word, that sovereign Power,
By whom the worlds were made,
Oh! happy morn-illustrious hour
Was once in flesh arrayed.
3 Then shone almighty power and love,
In all their glorious forms,
When Jesus left his throne above,
To dwell with sinful worms.
4 To dwell with misery here below,
The Saviour left the skies,
And sunk to wretchedness and wo,
That worthless man might rise.
5 Adoring angels tuned their songs,
To hail the joyful day;
With rapture, then, let human tongues
Their grateful homage pay.
The Song of Angels.
1 ANGELS rejoiced and sweetly sung,
At our Redeemer's birth:
Mortals! awake; let every tongue
Proclaim his matchless worth.
2 Glory to God who dwells on high,
And sent his only Son
To take a servant's form, and die,
For evils we had done!
3 Good-will to men :-ye fallen race!
Arise, and shout for joy;
He comes with rich, abounding grace
To save, and not destroy.
4 Lord! send the gracious tidings forth,
And fill the world with light,
That Jew and Gentile, through the earth,
May know thy saving might.
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