Scripture Verse

A multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13–14

Introduction

portrait
Frederick A. Graves (1856–1927)

Words: Fred­er­ick A. Graves, 1893, alt.

Music: Ce­les­tia, Da­nish tune ar­ranged by Ja­cob G. Mei­dell, cir­ca 1840 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Hark, the heav’n­ly voic­es sing,
Glory to a Sav­ior king.
Glad ho­san­nas sang the an­gels;
O, how pre­cious was the mes­sage:
Peace on earth, good will tow’rd men,
Peace on earth, good will tow’rd men!

Why should Je­sus come to earth,
Taking such a hu­mble birth,
In a man­ger as a stran­ger,
Come so low­ly, yet so ho­ly,
Come to set His peo­ple free,
Come to set His peo­ple free?

Said the shep­herds, won­der­ing men:
Let us go to Beth­le­hem.
There they found Him in a man­ger,
Found the bless­èd lit­tle Stran­ger;
He, the Sav­ior of the world,
He, the Sav­ior of the world.

Then to seek the Prince of Peace
Came the wise men from the east,
Myrrh and gold, sweet frank­in­cense
All had brought Him, cost­ly pre­sents;
Gifts of love were all of these,
Gifts of love were all of these.

What does Je­sus ask of me?
Free will of­fer­ing it must be.
All my heart and all my powe­rs,
All my days and all my hours.
Here I give my­self to Thee,
Here I give my­self to Thee.