Scripture Verse

Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Introduction

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John Goss (1800–1880)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: John Need­ham, Hymns De­vo­tion­al and Mo­ral on Va­ri­ous Sub­jects (Bris­tol, Eng­land: S. Far­ley, 1768), num­ber 78.

Music: Ar­thur’s Seat John Goss, in Hymns and Songs of Praise (New York: 1874) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Ye sons of Ad­am, join
Throughout the spa­cious earth
In cheer­ful songs to hail
The great Re­deem­er’s birth;
Let your all hearts in con­cert move,
And ev­ery tongue be tuned by love.

The lof­ty heav’ns He bowed,
To earth the Sav­ior came;
With joy th’an­gel­ic hosts
His roy­al birth pro­claim;
For you, O men, is born, they sing
A mighty Sav­ior, and a king.

’Twas men He came to save,
And mor­tal flesh He wore;
Ye men with an­gels sing,
And in their strains adore;
Let your glad hearts and tongues com­bine
To praise the love, the grace di­vine.

Glory to God on high!
For great Em­ma­nu­el’s birth
Declares to men good will,
And brings down peace to earth;
Thus an­gels sang, and we’ll re­peat
Their strains still new and ev­er sweet.

Abr’am the pa­tri­arch led
By faith’s un­err­ing ray,
Abr’am the friend of God
Beheld this glo­ri­ous day;
Distant his view, but yet so bright
He died o’er­joyed at this blest sight.

We see the an­cient types,
The pro­phe­cies ful­filled;
With east­ern sag­es we
Adore this won­drous Child;
God’s on­ly Son, who came to bless
The earth with peace and right­eous­ness.

Glory to God on high!
For great Em­ma­nu­el’s birth
Declares to men good will,
And brings down peace to earth;
Thus an­gels sang, and we re­peat
Their songs still new and ev­er sweet.