ti-dings first be -gun Of God in- car-nate and the Virgin's
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 fulfilled 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 blessed 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
Of angels and of angel-men the King. Amen.
133 REGENT SQUARE 878.7-4.7
|(J=108) An - gels, from the realms of glo - ry,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth,
Ye, who sang cre -a- tion's story,
Now pro-claim Messi - ah's birth;
Come and wor-ship, Come and wor-ship, Wor-ship Christ, the new-born King. A - men.
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.
to the won- drous story, Which they chant in hymns of joy;
(66) It came up - on the mid-night clear, That glo-rious song of old,
From angels bend - ing near the earth To touch their harps of gold:
2 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.
3 Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring:
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
4 O 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:
Oh, rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing.
5 For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing. Amen.
EDMUND H. SEARS, v. 5 alt.
a Son is giv-en, God Him - self comes down from heaven.
Sing, O sing, this. bless-ed morn, Je sus Christ to day is born.
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