Scripture Verse

[He] made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7

Introduction

Words: From A Christ­mas Ser­mon, in Fresh Hearts That Failed Three Thou­sand Years Ago, by Ro­bert T. S. Low­ell (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Tick­nor & Fields, 1860), pag­es 44–50. Ap­peared in The Mis­sion Band Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Emi­lie S. Coles (New­ark, New Jer­sey: L. J. Hard­ham, 1879), pag­es 9–10.

Music: Ev­en­ing Pray­er (Steb­bins) George C. Steb­bins, 1878 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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

portrait
George C. Stebbins (1846–1945)

Lyrics

He that lay in low­ly man­ger,
Now is known as Hea­ven’s king;
What but an­gels sang, afore­time,
Now have men been taught to sing:

God have glo­ry, in the high­est:
Peace on earth, good will to­wards men:
Over all the tide of ag­es,
Ever now as it was then.

Lo, He came, the Lord of glo­ry!
Born and cra­dled in a stall:
Sure He had but scan­ty wel­come,
Seeing He was Lord of all.

Yet, in sooth, He sought no oth­er,
Nor to earth for hom­age came;
Here He took the form of ser­vant,
Here He bared the cheek to shame.

Not of this world was His king­dom,
He lived not at mon­arch’s cost;
He sought not the known and hon­ored,
But He came to seek the lost.

Glory, wor­ship, love and ser­vice,
To the bless­èd One in Three;
As it was in the be­gin­ning,
Is, and ev­er­more shall be.