2 '1 was his chief delight, His everlasting Son- Before the first of all his works, Creation, was begun.
3 'When he adorned the skies,
And built them, I was there, To order when the sun should rise, And marshal every star.
4 'Upon the empty air
The earth was balanced well: With joy I saw the mansion, where The sons of men should dwell.
5 'My busy thoughts at first On their salvation ran, Ere sin was born, or Adam's dust Was fashioned to a man.'
6 Then come, receive his grace, Ye children, and be wise: Happy the man that keeps his ways; The man that shuns them dies.
HIS INCARNATION AND NATIVITY. Incarnation and birth. John, i. 14.
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-
O 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 dwel. with sinful worms.
4 To dwell with misery 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 mortal tongues Their grateful worship pay.
6 What glory, Lord, to thee is due! With wonder we adore; But could we sing as angels do, Our highest praise were poor.
1 MORTALS, awake, with angels join And chant the solemn lay; Joy, love, and gratitude, combine To hail th' auspicious day.
2 In heaven the rapturous song began, And sweet seraphic fire Through all the shining legions ran, And strung and tuned the lyre.
3 Swift through the vast expanse it flew, And loud the echo rolled; The theme, the song, the joy, was new, 'T was more than heaven could hold.
4 Down through the portals of the sky Th' impetuous torrent ran; And angels flew, with eager joy, To bear the news to man.
5 Hark! the cherubic armies shout, And glory leads the song; 'Good-will and peace' are heard throughout Th' harmonious angel throng.
6 With joy the chorus we'll repeat,-- 'Glory to God on high! Good-will and peace are now complete; Jesus was born to die!'
7 Hail, Prince of life! forever hail, Redeemer, brother, friend! Though earth, and time, and life, should fail Thy praise shall never end.
The nativity. Luke ii. 8-15.
1 WHILE 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 displayed, All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, And in a manger laid.'
5 Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith Appeared a shining throng Of angels praising God, and 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.'
107. The song of the angels at Bethehem.
1 HARK! what mean those holy voices. Sweetly sounding through the skies? Lo! th' angelic host rejoices; Heavenly hallelujahs 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, and taste his joy; Till in heaven ye sing before him,- Glory be to God most high!"
1 WHEN Jordan hushed his waters still, And silence slept on Zion's hill;
When Bethlehem's shepherds through the night Watched o'er their flocks by starry light:
2 Hark! from the midnight hills around, A voice of more than mortal sound,
In distant hallelujahs stole
Wild murmuring o'er the raptured soul.
3 On wheels of light, on wings of flame, The glorious hosts of angels came; And while they struck their harps and sung, High heaven with songs of triumph rung:-
4 'O Zion! lift thy raptured eye, The long expected hour is nigh; Renewed, creation smiles again, The Prince of Salem comes to reign.'
1 BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of the morning! aid:
Dawn on our darkness, and lend thine aid;
Star of the east, the horizon adorning, Guide where our 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.
Good tidings of great joy to all people. 8s, 7s & 4.
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, Doomed 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..
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