Scripture Verse

God hath heard me. Psalm 66:19

Introduction

portrait
James Woodford
(1820–1885)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Charles Cof­fin, writ­ten for Ma­tins of Christ­mas Day in the Pa­ris Bre­vi­ary, 1736 (Jam de­sin­ant sus­pir­ia). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by James R. Wood­ford, cir­ca 1850, and first pub­lished in his Hymns Ar­ranged for Sun­days, 1852.

Music: St. George (Gaunt­lett) Hen­ry J. Gaunt­lett, 1848 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Henry Gauntlett
(1805–1876)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

God from on high hath heard;
Let sighs and sor­rows cease;
Lo! from the op­en­ing Heav’n des­cends
To man the pro­mised Peace.

Hark! through the si­lent night
Angelic voic­es swell;
Their joy­ful songs pro­claim that God
Is born on earth to dwell.

See how the shep­herd band
Speed on with ea­ger feet;
Come to the hal­lowed cave with them
The ho­ly Babe to greet.

But, oh, what sight ap­pears
Within that low­ly door!
A man­ger, stall, and swad­dling clothes,
A child and mo­ther poor!

Art Thou the Christ? the Son?
The Fa­ther’s im­age bright?
And see we Him whose arm up­holds
Earth and the star­ry height?

Yea, faith can pierce the cloud
Which veils Thy glo­ry now;
We hail Thee, God, be­fore whose throne
The an­gels pros­trate bow.

A si­lent teach­er, Lord,
Thou bidd’st us not re­fuse
To bear what flesh would have us shun,
To shun what flesh would choose.

Our sin­ful pride to cure
With that pure love of Thine,
O be Thou born with­in our hearts,
Most ho­ly Child di­vine.