Scripture Verse

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Introduction

portrait
Love Jameson (1811–1892)

Words: Love H. Ja­me­son, in The Palm of Vic­to­ry, ed­it­ed by Le­roy H. Dow­ling (St. Lou­is, Mis­sou­ri: L. H. Dow­ling, 1874), page 57.

Music: Pa­len­cia George B. Loo­mis (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ja­me­son or Loo­mis (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

There was dark­ness above,
There was dark­ness be­neath,
’Twas the dark­ness of night,
And the sha­dow of death;
When the day-star of life
Rose amid the deep gloom,
And il­lum­ined the dark­ness
Of death and the tomb.

As the shep­herds stood watch
By their flocks in the night;
While they slept on the sward,
’Neath the stars’ gen­tle light,
From the por­tals of bliss,
Came an an­gel­ic train,
Warbling mu­sic di­vine
Over Beth­le­hem’s plain.

To Je­ho­vah they sang,
Highest glo­ry be giv’n
Among mor­tals, good will;
Peace on earth, joy in Heav’n
;
Echo sent back the strain
From each mount­ain and hill,
To Je­ho­vah be glo­ry,
To mor­tals good will.

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