Scripture Verse

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10

Introduction

Words: Fro­nie B. Tur­ner, in White Robes, by Alon­zo J. Ab­bey & Mer­ritt J. Mun­ger (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ol­iv­er Dit­son, 1879), pag­es 46–47.

Music: John M. Chad­wick (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Tur­ner or Chad­wick (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

O, sweet is the sto­ry of old;
That won­der­ful tale of the past;
Tho’ cen­tu­ries on­ward have rolled,
That tale shall all ag­es out­last;
For Christ was the babe that was born;
The Son of the Lord came to earth;
The dawn of the first Christ­mas morn,
Beheld our Im­ma­nu­el’s birth.

Refrain

Messiah is king, with rap­ture we sing,
All glo­ry, all glo­ry to Thee!

O, tell the glad tid­ings to all;
That won­der­ful sto­ry of old;
Redeemed from the curse and the fall;
Restored to the shel­ter­ing fold;
Our Sav­ior came down from above;
He bore all our sor­row and sin,
That we by His in­fi­nite love
A rest and a re­fuge might win.

Refrain

O, pluck the fresh green of the wood;
The box and the myr­tle en­twine;
Adorn the fair place of the Lord;
With leaves of the ev­er­green vine.
O, loud let the an­thems arise,
To greet Him, our Sav­ior, our king;
While Hea­ven’s great cho­rus re­plies;
Let joy­ful ho­san­nas now ring.

Refrain