Scripture Verse

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Introduction

portrait
Horatius Bonar
1808–1889

Words: Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, Songs for the Wil­der­ness, first ed­i­tion, 1843. This hymn is some­times pub­lished in cen­to form, be­gin­ning with Je­sus, whom an­gel-hosts adore.

Music: Pad­dock, in The Sun­day School Chant and Tune Book (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: E. P. Dut­ton, 1866), num­ber 24 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • St. Alkmund Ea­sy Mus­ic for Church Choirs, 1853 (🔊 pdf nwc)

Lyrics

The Son of God in mighty love,
Came down to Bethlehem for me;
Forsook His throne of light above,
An infant on the earth to be.

In love, the Father’s sinless child,
Sojourned at Nazareth for me;
With sinners dwelt the undefiled,
The Holy One in Galilee.

Jesus, whom angel hosts adore,
Became a man of griefs for me;
In love, though rich, becoming poor,
That I through Him enriched might be.

Thou Lord of all, above, below,
He went to Olivet for me;
There drank my cup of wrath and woe,
When bleeding in Gethsemane.

The ever blessèd Son of God
Went up to Calvary for me;
There paid my debt, there bore my load,
In His own body on the tree.

Jesus, whose dwelling is the skies,
Went down into the grave for me;
There overcame my enemies,
There won the gracious victory.

In love the whole dark path He trod,
To consecrate a way for me;
Each bitter footstep marked with blood,
From Bethlehem to Calvary.

’Tis finished all; the veil is rent,
The welcome sure, the access free;
Now then we leave our banishment,
O Father, to return to Thee.