Then let us join the heavens above,
Where hymning seraphs sing;
Join all the glad powers,
For their Lord is ours,
Our Prophet, our Priest, and our King.
Let joy abound, like rivers flow,
Flow on and still increase!
Spread o’er the glad earth,
At Jesus’s birth,
For heaven and earth are at peace!
Then let us join, &c.
All glory to God on high!
To Him all praise is due;
The promise is seal’d,
The Saviour reveal’d,
And that proves the record is true.
Then let us join, &c.
Now the good-will of heaven is shewn
Towards Adam’s helpless race;
Messiah is come,
To ransom his own,
And save them by Infinite grace.
Then let us join, &c.
6.
Awake up my glory, awake up my lute!
On this happy morning how can I be mute?
Come, mortals, assist me, your music all bring,
To welcome the birth-day of Christ our King.
Chorus.—Glory to God our King!
Let men with angels sing,
All glory to God, Hallelujah. Amen.
Hark! angels delighted proclaim the glad news,
While shepherds benighted the wonder reviews;
How sweet were the tidings on this blessed morn,
When Christ our Saviour was in Bethlehem born!
All glory, &c.
The wise men directed to that happy place,
With joy and with wonder beheld his dear face;
They worshipp’d the Saviour whom angels adore,
And bowing before Him, presented their store.
All glory, &c.
While we the glad story repeat in our verse,
May each of us glory his deeds to rehearse;
And shout out “Salvation to Jesus belongs!”
Till each list’ning nation re-echoes our songs.
All glory, &c.
7.
God rest you merry gentlemen!
Let nothing you dismay!
Remember Christ the Saviour
Was born on Christmas day,
To save poor souls from Satan’s power,
Who had long time gone astray,
From God, that is our Father,
The blessed angels came,
Unto some certain shepherds,
With tidings of the same,
That there was born in Bethlehem
The Son of God by name.
“Go, fear not,” said God’s angels,
“Let nothing you affright,
For there is born in Bethlehem,
Of a pure Virgin bright,
One able to advance you,
And throw down Satan quite.”
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest storms of wind,
And straight they came to Bethlehem,
The Son of God to find.
With sudden joy and gladness
The shepherds were beguil’d
To see the Babe of Israel
Before his mother mild;
O then with joy and cheerfulness
Rejoice each mother’s child!
God bless the ruler of this house,
And send him long to reign,
And many a merry Christmas
May he live to see again,
Among your friends and kindred,
That live both far and near,
And may God send you a happy new year!
8.
The first good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of ONE,—
To see her own Son Jesus
Sucking at her breast-bone.
Sucking at her breast-bone, good Lord;
And blessed may we be!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
To all eternity.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of TWO,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Making the lame to go, Good Lord, &c.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of THREE,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Making the blind to see, Good Lord, &c.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of FOUR,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Reading the Bible o’er;
Reading the Bible o’er, good Lord, &c.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of FIVE,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Making the dead to live;
Making the dead to live, good Lord, &c.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of SIX,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Wearing the crucifix;
Wearing the crucifix, good Lord, &c.
The next good joy that Mary had,
It was the joy of SEVEN,—
To see her own Son Jesus Christ
Ascending into heaven;
Ascending into heaven, good Lord, &c.
9.
A virgin unspotted, the prophets foretold
Should bring forth a Saviour which now we behold,
To be our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin,
Which Adam’s transgressions involved us all in.
Chorus—Then let us be merry, cast sorrow away!
Our Saviour Christ Jesus was born on this day.
Through Bethlehem’s city, in Judah it was,
That Jesus and Mary together did pass;
And there they were taxed when thither they came,
For Cæsar Augustus commanded the same.
Now Mary’s full time being come as we find,
She brought forth her first-born to save all mankind.
The inn being full, for this heavenly Guest
No room was there found to lay Him to rest.
Then Mary, blest Mary, so meek and so mild,
Soon wrapt up in swaddlings this heavenly Child;
Contented she laid Him where the oxen did feed!
The great God of Nature approved of the deed.
To teach us humility all this was done,
And learn us from hence haughty pride to shun;
A manger his cradle, though He came from above!
The great God of Mercy, of Peace, and of Love.
10.
Angels, from the realms of glory
Wing your flight o’er all the earth!
Ye who sang Creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth!
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Shepherds in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flock by night,
God with man is now residing!
Yonder shines the Infant light:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of Nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Saints before the altar bending,
Waiting long with hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord descending,
In his temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Sinners wrung with new repentance,
Doomed for guilt, to endless pains,
Justice now repeals the sentence,
Mercy calls you—breaks your chains!
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
11.
The moon shines bright, and the stars gave light,
A little before it was day:
The Lord our God then called to us,
And bade us awake and pray.
Awake, awake, good people all
Awake, and you shall hear,
Our blessed Lord died on the cross,
For us whom he loved so dear.
O fair, O fair Jerusalem!
When shall we come to thee?
When will our grief be at an end,
Thy joys when shall we see?
For saving of our precious souls,
Christ died upon the cross:
We ne’er can do for Jesus Christ
What he hath done for us.
The life of man is but a span,
And cut down like a flower;
We are here to-day—to-morrow gone,
The creatures of an hour!
God bless the master of this house,
Mistress and children dear!
Joyful may their Christmas be,
And happy their New-year!
12.
Hark, the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcil’d!
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies.
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark, the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King!
Christ, by highest heaven ador’d,
Christ the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb;
Veil’d in flesh the Godhead He,—
Hail the Incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with men to appear,
Jesus our Immanuel here.
Hark, the herald angels, &c.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in his wings!
Mild He lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die!
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark, the herald angels, &c.
13.
Let men and angels sing,
Glory to God our King,—
Jesus is born!
Praise Him who left his throne,
Bow’d his heavens and came down,
His matchless love made known,
On this glad morn.
Chorus—Praise Him, &c.
Angels to swains appear;
Tending their fleecy care,
Light shines abroad:
“Rise,” says the messenger;
“Shepherds,” dismiss your fears:
Jesus to-day appears!
Glory to God! Cho: Rise, &c.
Since the Redeemer’s birth,
Sweet peace shall be on earth:
Good-will to men,
Far as creation’s bound,
Tidings of joy shall sound;
Through all the nations round,
Jesus shall reign!
Chorus—Far as creation’s bound,
Tidings of joy shall sound;
Through all the nations round,
Jesus shall reign!
14.
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid!
Star of the east, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining,
Low lies his head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all!
Say, shall we yield Him in costly devotion,
Odours of Edom, and off’rings divine;
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, and gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gold would his favour secure:
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration!
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
15.
While shepherds watch’d their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not,” said he, (for mighty dread
Had seiz’d their troubled mind,)
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line,
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be your sign:
“The heavenly Babe you there shall find,
To human view display’d;
All meanly wrapt in swaddling-clothes,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraphs, and forthwith
Appear’d a shining throng
Of angels praising God, and thus
Address’d their joyful song:
“All glory be to God on high,
And on the earth be peace!
Good-will henceforth from Heaven to men
Begin and never cease!”
16.
Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wandering, so fair to be seen.
Chorus—Love and joy come to you,
And to your wassail too,
And God send you many a happy New-year,
A new-year;
And God send you many a happy New-year!
Our wassail-cup is made of the rosemary-tree,
So is your beer of the best barley.
We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door,
But we are neighbours’ children, whom you have seen before.
Call up the butler of this house, put on his golden ring;
Let him bring us a glass of beer, and the better we shall sing.
We have got a little purse, made of stretching leather-skin;
We want a little of your money to line it well within.
Bring us out a table and spread it with a cloth;
Bring us out a mouldy cheese, and some of your Christmas loaf.
God bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress too,
And all the little children that round the table go!
Good master and mistress, while you’re sitting by the fire,
Pray think of us poor children, who are wandering in the mire.
17.
’Twas Jesus the Prince of the kings of the earth,
That of Mary, the Virgin, this day was brought forth;
Tho’ the world He created, with heaven’s noble frame,
To be laid in a manger how joyful He came!
Chorus—Glory to Thee, Almighty Jesus!
Thy love awakes each tuneful string;
Angels and men shall sing thy praises,
’Till heaven’s high court shall loudly ring
With hallelujah! glory to our exalted King!
Lo! angels descended on that blessed night,
To publish the advent with joy and delight;
Good-will towards men was the theme of their song,
And to God in the highest doth glory belong.
Glory to Thee, &c.
He saw the sad state which poor mortals were in,
He left his high honours, and died for their sin;
On the cross were extended his hands and his feet,
For sweet-smelling savour and offering complete.
Glory to Thee, &c.
He arose from the dead, and ascended on high,
And clothed with glory, his Father sits by;
The dear cause of his people incessant he pleads,
And every believer to Paradise leads.
Glory to Thee, &c.
18.
Thou Child Divine, Emmanuel,
O welcome in thy humble manger!
With heartfelt joy thy birth we hail,
And greet with songs the heavenly Stranger.
Our doubts, and fears, and sadness,
Are turn’d to joy and gladness:
Good-will to man, and peace on earth,
Are now declared by our Saviour’s birth.
Thou Child Divine, Emmanuel,
O welcome in thy humble manger!
With heartfelt joy thy birth we hail,
And greet with songs the heavenly Stranger.
19.
Behold, the grace appears,
The promise is fulfilled:
Mary, the wondrous Virgin, bears,
And Jesus is the Child.
To bring the glorious news,
A heavenly form appears;
He tells the shepherds of their joys,
And banishes their fears.
“Go, humble swains,” said he,
“To David’s city fly;
“The promis’d Infant born to-day
“Doth in a manger lie.
“With looks and hearts serene,
“Go visit Christ your King;”
And straight a flaming troop was seen,
The shepherds heard them sing—
“Glory to God on high,
“And heavenly peace on earth!
“Good-will to men, to angels joy,
“At their Redeemer’s birth!”
20.
Angelic hosts, who dwell above,
And taste the streams of sacred love,
Descend and teach mankind to sing
The honours of our new-born King.
’Tis done: behold the opening skies,
A band celestial meets our eyes;
Hark, hark! their well-tun’d harps of gold,
The wondrous tale of love unfold.
“Good-will to men, from God on high;
“Good-will the lawns and groves reply;
“Peace on earth, the Saviour reigns,”
Peace re-echoes through the plains.
In flesh behold the mighty God,
Who rules creation with a nod!
In Bethlehem, lo! Emmanuel’s born;
Hail, heaven and earth, the joyful morn!
21.
Give ear, O earth, while angels sing,
Good news to sinful men they bring;
And while angelic hosts rejoice,
Sure gratitude should tune our voice.