129

Adeste Fideles.

118.

1 COME hither, ye faithful, triumphantly sing:
Come see in the manger the angels' dread King!
To Bethlehem hasten, with joyful accord;
O come ye, come hither, to worship the Lord!
By Thine all-sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

C. Wesley. 1745.

127

CHRISTMAS.

1 HARK! what mean those holy voices,
Sweetly sounding through the skies?
Lo! the angelic host rejoices;

Heavenly hallelujahs rise.

2 Listen to the wondrous story,

Which they chant in hymns of joy: "Glory in the highest, glory!

Glory be to God most high!

8,7.

3 "Peace on earth, good-will from heaven,
Reaching far as man is found;
Souls redeemed, and sins forgiven;
Loud our golden harps shall sound.

4 "Christ is born, the great Anointed;
Heaven and earth, His praises sing!
O receive whom God appointed

For your Prophet, Priest, and King.

5 "Hasten, mortals, to adore Him;
Learn His Name, and taste His joy;
Till in heaven ye sing before Him,
Glory be to God most high!"

5 Since all He comes to ransom,
By all be He adored,

The Infant born in Bethlehem,
The Saviour and the Lord!

6 And idol forms shall perish,
And error shall decay,

And Christ shall wield His sceptre,
Our Lord and God for aye.

John Mason Neale. 1862. a.

Tr. Anatolius. ab. 450.

131 Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich hir. L. M. 1 Good news from heaven the angels bring, Glad tidings to the earth they sing:

To us this day a Child is given,

To crown us with the joy of heaven.
2 This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself our Saviour be,
From all our sins to set us free.

3 To us that blessedness He brings,
Which from the Father's bounty springs:
That in the heavenly realm we may
With Him enjoy eternal day.

4 All hail, Thou noble Guest, this morn,
Whose Love did not the sinner scorn:
In my distress Thou comest to me;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?
5 Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
She yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
6 Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

7 Praise God upon His heavenly throne,
Who gave to us His only Son:
For this His hosts, on joyful wing,
A blest New Year of mercy sing.

From Arthur Tozer Russell. 1848.
And Miss Winkworth. 1855.
Tr. Martin Luther. 1535.

132 Wir singen Dir, Immanuel.

1 Emmanuel! we sing Thy praise,

L.M.

Thou Prince of Life! Thou Fount of Grace!
With all Thy saints, Thee, Lord, we sing;
Praise, honor, thanks, to Thee we bring!
2 E'er since the world began to be,

How many a heart hath longed for Thee!
And Thou, O long-expected Guest,

Hast come at last to make us blest!

3 Now art Thou here: we know Thee now.
In lowly manger liest Thou:

A Child, yet makest all things great;
Poor, yet is earth Thy robe of state.

4 Now fearless I can look on Thee:
From sin and grief Thou set❜st me free:
Thou bearest wrath, Thou conquerest death,
Fear turns to joy Thy glance beneath.

5 Thou art my Head, my Lord divine:
I am Thy member, wholly Thine;
And in Thy Spirit's strength would still
Serve Thee according to Thy will.

6 Thus will I sing Thy praises here,
With joyful spirit year by year:
And they shall sound before Thy throne,
Where time nor number more is known.

From Miss Winkworth. 1855.
Tr. Paul Gerhardt. 1656.

133

PSALM 98.

C. M.

1 Joy to the world; the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.

2 Joy to the earth; the Saviour reigns!
Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy.

3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground.

He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove

The glories of His Righteousness,
And wonders of His Love.

134

[Watts. 1719.

Du wesentliches Wort.

10 SAVIOUR of our race,
Welcome indeed Thou art,

Blessed Redeemer, Fount of grace,
To this my longing heart!

2 Light of the world, abide

Through faith within my heart;

Leave me to seek no other guide,
Nor e'er from Thee depart.

3 Thou art the Life, O Lord!
Sole Light of life Thou art!
Let not Thy glorious rays be poured
In vain on my dark heart.

S. M.

4 Star of the East, arise!

Drive all my clouds away; Guide me till earth's dim twilight dies Into the perfect day.

135

From Miss Winkworth. 1855.

Tr. Laurentius Laurenti. 1700.

NEW YEAR.

Our Lord's Circumcision. 1 THE year begins with Thee,

And Thou begin'st with woe,
To let the world of sinners see

That blood for sin must flow.
2 Thine infant cries, O Lord,
Thy tears upon the breast,
Are not enough-the legal sword
Must do its stern behest.

3 Am I a child of tears,

Cradled in care and woe?

And seems it hard my vernal years
Few vernal joys can show?

4 Seemeth it strange to me
My own will to deny?

Seemeth it sad, my soul, to thee,
Under the yoke to lie?

5 I look, and hold my peace:
The Giver of all good

Even from the womb takes no release
From suffering, tears, and blood.

6 That I may reap in love,
Help me to sow in fear:

So life a winter's morn may prove
To a bright endless year.

S.M.

From John Keble. 1827.