Gentiles shall come to Thy light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising.
Isaiah 60:3
Words: Thomas Cotterill, A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use, eighth edition, 1819.
Music: Duke Street, attributed to John Hatton, 1793 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tune:
If you know where to get a good picture of Cotterill (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
Lo, in the east appears a star,
In eastern skies unseen before;
And ancient sages from afar
Hasten the mystery to explore.
These ancient sages, led from far,
Began their doubtful, anxious way;
Nor rested till the wandering star
Stood o’er the place where Jesus lay.
They came, they saw, and they adored;
Each costly treasure they unfold,
And offer to their infant Lord,
Their myrrh, their frankincense and gold.
That star to us its light imparts:
May we its guiding rays pursue,
And with the homage of our hearts
To Jesus come, and worship too.
May we through life its guidance trace,
And mark its path o’er earthly things,
Until it leads us to the place,
Where Jesus reigns the King of kings.
Light of the world, O Savior, rise;
Nor cease to shed Thy cheering ray,
Till o’er the lands beneath the skies
Thy glory shines in perfect day.