Scripture Verse

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah 9:6

Introduction

portrait
Frank T. Southwick (1857–1948)

Words: Hen­ry R. Bald­win, in The Abridged Aca­de­my Song-Book, by Charles H. Le­ver­more (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ginn, 1903), page 225.

Music: Frank T. South­wick (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Rejoice to­day with glad ac­cord,
For Christ, the Lord, is come:
Fulfillèd the pro­phet­ic word,
In David’s Beth­le­hem.
For un­to us a child is born;
To us a son is giv­en;
To raise our fall­en na­ture up,
And make us heirs of Heav’n.

Behold Him in a man­ger laid:
A help­less lit­tle one;
For whom Ju­dea’s mo­thers prayed;
The long ex­pect­ed Son.
No earth­ly pomp sur­rounds His bed,
His home no pill­ared hall:
They had not where to lay His head,
Save in the catt­le stall.

The King of Heav’n—the Prince of Life,
Assumes a mor­tal frame;
He comes to en­ter in­to strife,
To weave im­mor­tal fame.
His wea­pons truth and right­eous­ness;
The cause the good of all,
The help­less sons of Ad­am’s race,
The rui­ned by the fall.

Hail, glo­ri­ous Prince! Hail, bless­èd Son!
On this Thy na­tal day
Let love and peace un­tram­meled run,
O’er all the earth hold sway,
Till hu­man pass­ion, sin, and wrongs,
Are num­bered with the past,
And earth with her ten thou­sand tongues,
Shall praise Thee First and Last.