Seasonal Hymns: Christmas 175-184

175

O come, all ye faithful – J Wade

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come, and behold him, born the King of angels;
Refrain:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

God from God, Light from Light eternal,
lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
only-begotten Son of the Father; Refrain

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God, glory in the highest; Refrain

See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; Refrain

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
we would embrace thee, with love and awe;
who would not love thee, loving us so dearly? Refrain

For Christmas:
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; Refrain

For Epiphany:
Lo! star-led chieftains, magi, Christ adoring,
offer him frankincense and gold and myrrh;
we to the Christ-child bring our hearts oblations: Refrain

176

While shepherds watched their flocks by night – N Tate

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.

"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.

"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

"The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high
and on earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to me
begin and never cease."

177

Now yield we thanks and praise – H Robbins

Now yield we thanks and praise
to Christ enthroned in glory,
and on this day of days
tell out redemption’s story,
who truly have believed
that on this blessèd morn,
in holiness conceived,
the Son of God was born.

What tribute shall we pay
to him who came in weakness,
and in a manger lay
to teach His people meekness?
Let every house be bright;
let praises never cease;
with mercies infinite
our Christ hath brought us peace.

178

Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing – W A Muhlenberg

Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!

Zion, the marvelous story be telling,
the Son of the Highest, how lowly his birth!
the brightest archangel in glory excelling,
he stoops to redeem thee, he reigns upon earth.
Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!

Tell how he cometh; from nation to nation
the heart cheering news let the earth echo round;
how free to the faithful he offers salvation,
his people with joy everlasting are crowned.
Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!

Mortals, your homage be gratefully bringing,
and sweet let the gladsome hosannas arise;
ye angels, the full alleluias be singing;
one chorus resound through the earth and the skies.
Shout the glad tidings, exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah is King!
Messiah is King!

179

Christians, awake! salute the happy morn – J Byrom

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
whereon the Savior of the world was born;
rise to adore the mystery of love,
which hosts of angels chanted from above;
with them the joyful tidings first begun
of God Incarnate and the Virgin's Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
who heard the angelic herald's voice: "Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior's birth,
to you and all the nations on the earth:
this day hath God fulfilled his promised word,
this day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord."

He spake, and straightway the celestial choir
in hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
the praises of redeeming love they sang,
and heaven's whole orb with alleluias rang;
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
peace on the earth, and unto men good will.

To Bethlehem straight the enlightened shepherds ran
to see the wonder God had wrought for man,
and found, with Joseph and the blessèd Maid,
her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
then to their flocks, still praising God, return,
and their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.

O may we keep and ponder in our mind
God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind;
trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
from his poor manger to his bitter cross;
treading his steps, assisted by his grace,
till man's first heavenly state again takes place.

Then may we hope, the angelic thrones among,
to sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song;
he that was born upon this joyful day
around us all his glory shall display;
saved by his love, incessant we shall sing
eternal praise to heaven's almighty King.

180

I know a rose tree springing – S Gebetbuch / Hymnal 1940 trans

181

A great and mighty wonder – Germanus / Neale trans

A great and mighty wonder,
a full and holy cure!
The Virgin bears the Infant
with virgin-honor pure:

(R) Repeat the hymn again!
"To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth to men."

The Word becomes incarnate,
and yet remains on high;
and cherubim sing anthems
to shepherds from the sky; (R)

While thus they sing your Monarch,
those bright angelic bands,
rejoice, ye vales and mountains,
ye oceans, clap your hands: (R)

Since all he comes to ransom,
by all be he adored,
the infant born in Bethlehem,
the Savior and the Lord: (R)

182

It came upon the midnight clear – E Sears

It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven's all-gracious King." 

The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing. 

Still through the cloven skies they come
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o'er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o'er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing. 

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing! 

For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.

183

O little town of Bethlehem – P Brooks

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary;
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth!
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him,
still the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy
pray to the blessed Child,
where misery cries out to thee,
Son of the Mother mild;
where charity stands watching
and faith holds wide the door,
the dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel!

184

From heaven high I come to you – Luther

From heaven high I come to you;
I bring you tidings glad and new.
Such joyous tidings do I being
to all the world and gladly sing:

"To you this day is born a child:
born of a maiden mother mild,
a child so gentle and so rare,
who bring you joy without compare.

Now Christ, the Lord, our God, is born!
As solace to a world forlorn,
he comes as Savior, peace to win,
and he will cleanse you from all sin."

All praise to God in heaven above,
who gives his Son to us in love;
let us with angel choirs rejoice
and greet his birth with happy voice.