“ Songs of praise the angels sang, heaven with hallelujahs rang,
When Jehovah’s work begun, when He spake and it was done.
Songs of praise awoke the morn, when the Prince of Peace was born;
Songs of praise arose when He captive led captivity.
Heaven and earth must pass away, songs of praise shall crown that day;
God will make new heaven and earth, songs of praise shall hail their birth.
Saints below, with heart and voice, still in songs of praise rejoice;
Learning here by faith and love, songs of praise to sing above.
Borne upon the latest breath, songs of praise shall conquer death ”

“ Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.
Glory to God, who reigns above!
Let peace surround the earth!
Mortals shall know their Maker’s love,
At their Redeemer’s birth.
Lord! and shall angels have their songs,
And men no tune to raise?
O may we lose these useless tongues
When we forget to praise!
Glory to God who reigns above,
That pitied us forlorn!
We join to sing our Maker’s love,
For there’s a Saviour born.
5 3.
Hark! hark! what news the angels bring;
Glad tidings of a new-born King!
Born of a maid, a Virgin pure,
Born without sin, from guilt secure. ”

“ Improve our rising dawn of grace,
Which, followed, will to Jesus lead,
Jesus, our “Sun of Righteousness.”
88.
Once thou didst on earth appear
For all mankind to atone;
Now be manifested here,
And bid our sins begone.
Come, and by thy presence chase
Its nature with its guilt and power;
Jesus, shew thy open face,
And sin shall be no more.
Thou, who didst so greatly stoop
To a poor virgin’s womb,
Here thy mean abode take up,
To me, my Saviour, come.
Come, and Satan’s works destroy,
And let me all thy Godhead prove;
Fill’d with peace and heavenly joy,
And pure, eternal love! ”

“ What good news the angels bring! what glad-tidings of our King!
Christ, the Lord, is born to-day; Christ, who takes our sins away.
Lift your hearts and voices high, with hosannas fill the sky;
Glory to God above! God is infinite in love.
Shout ye nations of the earth! sing the triumphs of his birth;
All the world by Him is blest; sound his praise from east to west! ”

“ Angels and men with one accord
Break forth in songs to praise the Lord.
Behold! he comes and leaves the skies;
Awake, ye slumbering mortals,—rise!
Awake to joy, and hail the morn,
The Saviour of the world is born.
With endless love He comes to dwell
On earth, to save mankind from hell;
In chorus then, with joy and mirth,
We’ll celebrate our Saviour’s birth. ”

“ But in a lowly manger where oxen fed around.
The glorious King of Heaven, the Lord of all the earth,
In mercy condescended to be of humble birth.
Long looked the simple shepherds with holy wonder stirred,
Then praised God for all things which they had seen and heard,
And homeward went rejoicing upon that Christmas morn,
Declaring unto every one that Jesus Christ was born.
And like unto the shepherds we wander far and near,
And bid you wake, good Christians, the joyful news to hear.
Awake, arise, good Christians, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ the Saviour was born upon this day. ”

“ Hark! the glad sound! The Saviour comes, the Saviour promised long!
Let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song.
He comes the prisoners to release, in Satan’s bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst, the iron fetters yield.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heaven’s eternal arches ring with thy beloved Name.
24.
Hark; the celestial heralds sing, and hail the birth-day of their King!
Come, sinners, wipe your flowing tears, the Hope of Israel now appears!
CHORUS:
Welcome news the angels bring on this solemn morn ”

“ To cleanse our transgressions, tho’ high as a mountain!
Hallelujah to the Lamb who hath bought us a pardon;
We’ll praise Him again when we’ve passed over Jordan!
Though we are deprav’d, though with sin we are burdened,
Our souls may be saved, and our sins may be pardoned;
For Jesus, our Saviour, hath promised to bless us,
And free us for ever from those that oppress us.
Hallelujah, &c.
The hour may be nigh when our bosoms, faint heaving,
Shall breathe their last sigh in the peace of believing ”

“ If prisoners bound in woful plight, are glad when they get free;
If sick and dying men rejoice to see th’ physician’s face,—
Then, sinners, listen, tune your voice, and hail the Saviour’s grace.
From heaven the Son of God descends, and takes the form of man.
To reconcile his foes as friends, was all his gracious plan.
For now the promis’d Saviour’s born, to Israel long foretold,
A lovely babe—the great ones’ scorn—see a rough stable hold!
But though He comes in lowly guise, ’tis David’s Royal Son,
And He that in the manger lies, shall fill his Father’s throne. ”

“ 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.
16 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. ”

“ 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!
13 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. ”

“ 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.
8
“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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ And save them by Infinite grace.
Then let us join, &c.
7 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! ”