All wise, all good, almighty Lord,
Jesus, by highest Heav’n adored,
Ere time its course began;
How did Thy glorious mercy stoop,
To take Thy fallen children up,
When Thou Thyself wert man?

Th’eternal God from Heav’n came down;
The King of glory dropped His crown
And veiled His majesty;
Emptied of all but love He came,
Jesus, I call Thee by the Name,
Thy pity bore for me.

O holy Child, still let Thy birth
Bring peace to us poor worms of earth,
And praise to God on high!
Come, Thou who didst my flesh assume;
Now to the abject sinner come,
And in a manger lie.

Didst Thou not in person join
The natures human and divine,
That God and man might be
Henceforth inseparably one?
Haste then and make Thy nature known
Incarnated in me.

In my weak, sinful flesh appear,
O God, be manifested here,
Peace, righteousness and joy;
Thy kingdom, Lord, set up within
My faithful heart; and all my sin,
The devil’s work, destroy.

I long Thy coming to confess,
The mystic power of godliness,
The life divine to prove:
The fulness of Thy life to know,
Redeemed from all my sins below,
And perfected in love.

O Christ, my Hope, make known to me
The great, the glorious mystery
The hidden life impart;
Come, Thou Desire of nations, come,
Formed in a spotless virgin’s womb,
A pure, believing heart.

Come quickly, dearest Lord, that I
May own, tho’ Antichrist deny,
Thy incarnation’s power:
May cry, a witness to my Lord,
“Come in my flesh is Christ the Word,
And I can sin no more!”

Behold the great Creator makes
Himself a house of clay,
A robe of virgin flesh He takes
Which He will wear for ay.

Hark, hark, the wise eternal Word,
Like a weak infant cries!
In form of servant is the Lord,
And God in cradles lies.

This wonder struck the world amazed,
It shook the starry frame;
Squadrons of spirits stood and gazed,
Then down in troops they came.

Glad shepherds ran to view this sight;
A choir of angels sings,
And eastern sages with delight
Adore this King of kings.

Join then, all hearts that are not stone,
And all our voices prove,
To celebrate this holy One
The God of peace and love.

Down from His glory,
Ever living story,
My God and Savior came,
And Jesus was His Name.
Born in a manger,
To His own a stranger,
A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.

Refrain

O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.

What condescension,
Bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,
Not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender,
Laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.

Refrain

Without reluctance,
Flesh and blood His substance,
He took the form of man,
Revealed the hidden plan,
O glorious myst’ry
Sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art the great “I Am.”

Refrain

Down from the worlds of radiant light
Behold the Savior come,
To ransom souls from endless night
And bring the wand’rers home.

He calls us to His dear embrace
From mis’ry and despair,
Bids us receive His wondrous grace,
And seek salvation there.

We come, Emmanuel, at Thy call,
Believe Thy glad’ning Word,
Renounce our sins, ourselves, our all,
And glory in our Lord.

Salvation to Messiah’s Name
With grateful hearts we sing,
And join our voices to proclaim
Our Saviour and our King.

Immortal praise to God belongs
For such unfathomed love;
Join, all below, in rapturous songs,
And shout, ye hosts above.

Prelude

He became incarnate, Christ the King of glory,
He became incarnate

Shepherds were keeping their nightly watch on Bethlem’s plain,
“Fear not, O brothers,” the angel addressed them,
Wonderful brightness around them shone so marv’lously.
“Joy I proclaim through the birth of the Savior.”

Refrain

He became incarnate, Christ the King of glory,
He became incarnate

“This sign I’ll show you by which you’ll find the Lord of all.”
Suddenly heavenly hosts sang forth praises.
“In David’s city you’ll find Him in a lowly stall.”
“Glory to God Who gives peace on earth good will.”

Refrain

Lína awatárá soí jagaraijá
Lína awatárá.

Desha Yahúdamen
Kitane gareriye
Kheton men jo saba basa rarayá.

The holy Son of God most high,
For love of Adam’s lapsèd race,
Quit the sweet pleasures of the sky
To bring us to that happy place.

His robes of light He laid aside,
Which did His majesty adorn,
And the frail state of mortals tried,
In human flesh and figure born.

Whole choirs of angels loudly sing
The mystery of His sacred birth,
And the blest news to shepherds bring,
Filling their watchful souls with mirth.

The Son of God thus man became,
That men the sons of God might be,
And by their second birth regain
A likeness to His deity.

I cannot tell why He whom angels worship,
Should set His love upon the sons of men,
Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,
To bring them back, they know not how or when.
But this I know, that He was born of Mary
When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,
And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,
And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come.

I cannot tell how silently He suffered,
As with His peace He graced this place of tears,
Or how His heart upon the cross was broken,
The crown of pain to three and thirty years.
But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted,
And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
For yet the Savior, Savior of the world is here.

I cannot tell how He will win the nations,
How He will claim His earthly heritage,
How satisfy the needs and aspirations
Of East and West, of sinner and of sage.
But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,
And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,
And some glad day His sun shall shine in splendor
When He the Savior, Savior of the world is known.

I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
When, at His bidding, every storm is stilled,
Or who can say how great the jubilation
When all the hearts of men with love are filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
And myriad, myriad human voices sing,
And earth to Heaven, and Heaven to earth, will answer:
At last the Savior, Savior of the world is King!

I know not how that Bethlehem’s Babe
Could in the Godhead be;
I only know the manger Child
Has brought God’s life to me.

I know not how that Calvary’s cross
A world from sin could free;
I only know its matchless love
Has brought God’s love to me.

I know not how that Joseph’s tomb
Could solve death’s mystery;
I only know a living Christ,
Our immortality.

Immortal Babe, who this dear day
Didst change Thine Heaven for our clay,
And didst with flesh Thy Godhead veil,
Eternal Son of God, all hail!

Shine, happy star, ye angels sing
Glory on high to Heaven’s King;
Run, shepherds, leave your nightly watch,
See Heaven come down to Bethlehem’s cratch.

Worship, ye sages of the east,
The King of gods in meanness dressed;
O blessèd maid, with smiles adore
The God thine arms, thy bosom bore.

Star, angels, shepherds, sages wise,
Thou virgin glory of all eyes,
Restorèd frame of Heaven and earth,
Rejoice in your Redeemer’s birth!

In mute astonishment and awe,
The angels learn God’s plan
To send His Uncreated Son
Down to the Earth—as Man!

From Light Eternal shines the Light,
And Satan’s night is ended;
Its brilliance breaks upon the world
In day uncomprehended.

The Word, enfleshed, invades His world,
And speaks the words of life:
“Lay down your arms, my rebel sons;
Be reconciled from strife.”

Immortal God, yet mortal man,
With men He makes His dwelling,
And we behold His glory here,
In grace beyond all telling.

His grace and truth, His abundant love,
His grand, gigantic meekness
Appear to us in human form,
In omnipotent weakness.

Incarnate God, embrace me now,
And by your Spirit’s art,
Enflesh the Word of God anew
Within my yielded heart.

Let earth and Heaven combine,
Angels and men agree,
To praise in songs divine
The incarnate Deity,
Our God contracted to a span,
Incomprehensibly made Man.

He laid His glory by,
He wrapped Him in our clay;
Unmarked by human eye,
The latent Godhead lay;
Infant of days He here became,
And bore the mild Immanuel’s Name.

See in that Infant’s face
The depths of deity,
And labor while ye gaze
To sound the mystery
In vain; ye angels gaze no more,
But fall, and silently adore.

Unsearchable the love
That hath the Savior brought;
The grace is far above
Of men or angels’ thought:
Suffice for us that God, we know,
Our God, is manifest below.

He deigns in flesh t’appear,
Widest extremes to join;
To bring our vileness near,
And make us all divine:
And we the life of God shall know,
For God is manifest below.

Made perfect first in love,
And sanctified by grace,
We shall from earth remove,
And see His glorious face:
His love shall then be fully showed,
And man shall all be lost in God.

O Christmas night! Day’s light transcending,
Who no beginning had or end
Till He a man became, was God.
Then He Who ne’er before was human
Was born in Bethlehem of woman,
When nips the frost the verdant sod.

This richest Babe comes poor in being,
More pearled within than to the seeing
With diadem and royal power;
He takes no heed of greater places,
But that small spot alone embraces,
Where light illumes the midnight hour.

This Prince, do they desire to find Him?
They’re worn out swaddling clothes that bind Him.
A manger, spread with hay’s His bed.
His throne is higher than the highest,
Yet He among the cattle lieth;
What Him to such a lot has led?

Now seeks He God with chaste affection
Who takes before such crib direction,
Are better than this Bethlehem,
Which Christ no resting place shall give;
For they, the after life, shall live
With Him, in Jerusalem.

O mercy divine, O couldst Thou incline,
My God, to become such as infant as mine?
What wonder of grace: The Ancient of Days
Is found in the likeness of Adam’s frail race!

He comes from on high, who fashioned the sky,
And meekly vouchsafes in a manger to lie;
Our God ever blest, with oxen doth rest,
Is nursed by His creature and hangs at the breast.

So heavenly-mild, His innocence smiled,
No wonder the mother would worship the Child,
The angels she knew had worshipped Him, too,
And still they confess adoration His due.

On Jesus’ face, with eager amaze,
And pleasure ecstatic the cherubim gaze;
Their newly born King, transported they sing,
And Heaven and earth with the triumph doth ring.

The shepherds behold Him, the promised of old,
By angels attended, by prophets foretold;
The wise men adore now, and bring Him their store,
The rich are permitted to follow the poor.

To the inn they repair, to see the young Heir;
The inn is a palace, for Jesus is there!
Who now would be great, and not rather wait
On Jesus their Lord in His humble estate?

Like Him would I be, my Master I see
In a stable; a manger shall satisfy me;
And here will I lie, till raised up on high,
With Him on the cross I recover the sky.

Savior, when night involves the skies,
My soul, adoring, turns to Thee;
Thee, self abased in mortal guise,
And wrapped in shades of death for me.

On Thee my waking raptures dwell,
When crimson gleams the east adorn,
Thee, Victor of the grave and hell,
Thee, Source of life’s eternal morn.

When noon her throne in light arrays,
To Thee my soul triumphant springs;
Thee, throned in glory’s endless blaze,
Thee, Lord of lords and King of kings.

O’er earth, when shades of evening steal,
To death and Thee my thoughts I give;
To death, whose power I soon shall feel,
To Thee, with Whom I trust to live.