2' Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
3 Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb:
4 Veil'd in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as Man with men to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
5 Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings.
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
"Unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
HILE shepherds watched their flocks
by night
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 display'd,
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
Address'd 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.'
"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem."
ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant;
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born, the King of angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
2 God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Begotten, not created:
O come, let us adore him, &c.
3 Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
Glory to God
In the highest ;
O come, let us adore him, &c.
4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host, praising God."
ARK! what mean those holy voices
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo! the angelic host rejoices,
Heavenly alleluias rise.
2 Listen to the wondrous story
Which they chant in hymns of joy-
Glory in the highest, glory!
Glory be to God most high!
3 "Peace on earth, good-will from heaven,
Reaching far as man is found;
Souls redeemed and sins forgiven,
Loud our golden harps shall sound.
4 "Christ is born; the great Anointed!
Heaven and earth his praises sing!
O receive whom God appointed
For your Prophet, Priest, and King!
5"Hasten, mortals, to adore him;
Learn his name to magnify,
Till in heaven ye sing before him,
Glory be to God most high!"
"Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy."
HRISTIANS, awake, salute the happy morn, Whereon the Saviour of mankind 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.
2 Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard the angelic herald's voice: "Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth
To you and all the nations upon earth:
This day hath God fulfill'd his promised word,
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord."
3 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 arch with alleluias rang:
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
Peace upon earth, and unto men good-will.
4 To Bethlehem straight the happy shepherds ran,
To see the wonder God had wrought for man:
And found, with Joseph, and the blessèd maid,
Her Son, the Saviour, in a manger laid;
Amazed the wondrous story they proclaim,
The earliest heralds of the Saviour's name.
5 Let us, like these good shepherds, then employ
Our grateful voices to proclaim the joy;
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.
6 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.
"Behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it
22 reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending on 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.
2 Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurl'd;
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.
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