Scripture Verse

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15

Introduction

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Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for the Na­ti­vi­ty of Our Lord (Lon­don: Will­iam Stra­han, 1745), num­ber 9.

Music: Bea­loth Lo­well Ma­son, Sac­red Harp 1843 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

Father, our hearts we lift,
Up to Thy gra­cious throne,
And bless Thee for the pre­cious gift,
Of Thine in­car­nate Son;
The gift uns­peak­able,
We thank­ful­ly re­ceive,
And to the world Thy good­ness tell,
And to Thy glo­ry live.

Jesus the ho­ly child,
Doth by His birth de­clare,
That God and men are re­con­ciled,
And one in Him we are;
Salvation through His name
To all man­kind is giv’n,
And loud His in­fant cries pro­claim
A peace ’twixt earth and Heav’n.

A peace on earth He brings,
Which ne­ver more shall end;
The Lord of hosts, the King of kings,
Declares Him­self our friend;
Assumes our flesh and blood,
That we His Sp’rit may gain;
The ev­er­last­ing Son of God,
The mor­tal Son of Man.

His king­dom from above,
He doth to us im­part,
And pure be­ne­vo­lence and love,
O’erflow the faith­ful heart;
Changed in a mo­ment we
The sweet at­tract­ion find,
With op­en arms of cha­ri­ty
Embracing all man­kind.

O might they all re­ceive,
The new-born Prince of Peace,
And meek­ly in His Spi­rit live,
And in His love in­crease!
Till He con­vey us home,
Cry ev­ery soul aloud,
Come, Thou de­sire of na­tions, come,
And take us all to God!