Scripture Verse

Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? Matthew 2:1

Introduction

Words: Re­gi­nald He­ber (1783–1826). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Writ­ten and Adap­ted to the Week­ly Ser­vice of the Church Year (Lon­don: J. Mur­ray, 1827), pag­es 31–32.

Music: Dun­dee Scot­tish Psal­ter, 1615 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Reginald Heber (1783–1826)

Lyrics

Abashed be all the boast of age!
Be hoa­ry learn­ing dumb!
Expounder of the mys­tic page,
Behold an in­fant come!

Oh, Wis­dom, whose un­fad­ing pow­er
Beside th’Eter­nal stood,
To frame, in na­ture’s ear­li­est hour,
The land, the sky the flood;

Yet didst not Thou dis­dain awhile
An in­fant form to wear;
To bless Thy mo­ther with a smile,
And lisp Thy fal­tered pray­er.

But, in Thy Fa­ther’s own abode,
With Is­ra­el’s elders round,
Conversing high with Is­ra­el’s God,
Thy chief­est joy was found.

So may our youth adore Thy name!
And Sav­ior, deign to bless
With fos­ter­ing grace the ti­mid flame
Of early holiness.