Scripture Verse

He emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. Philippians 2:6–7

Introduction

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Charles Coffin (1676–1749)

Words: Charles Cof­fin, in the Pa­ris Bre­vi­ary, 1736 (In­stan­tis ad­vent­um Dei). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John Chand­ler, Hymns of the Pri­mi­tive Church, 1837. The ren­der­ing be­low, a slight al­te­ra­tion of Chand­ler’s trans­la­tion, ap­peared in the Par­ish Hymn Book, 1863 and 1875. Click here for Chand­ler’s orig­in­al trans­la­tion.

Music: Don­cas­ter Sam­uel Wes­ley, in Psalms and Hymns for the Ser­vice of the Church, 1837 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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John Chandler (1806–1876)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

Lift up the Ad­vent strain!
Behold, the Lord is nigh!
Greet His ap­proach, ye saints, again,
With hymns of ho­ly joy.

The ever­last­ing Son
Incarnate deigns to be;
Our God the form of slave puts on
A race of slaves to free.

Daughter of Si­on, rise
To meet thy low­ly king,
Nor let the faith­less heart des­pise
The peace He comes to bring.

As judge in clouds of light,
He soon shall come again,
And all His scat­tered saints unite
With Him in Heav’n to reign.

Before that dread­ful day
May all our sins be gone;
The old man all be put away,
The new man all put on.

Jesu, all praise to Thee,
Our joy and end­less rest;
We pray Thee here our guide to be,
Our crown amid the blest.