Scripture Verse

There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13–14

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in The Wells of Sal­va­tion, ed­it­ed by John Swe­ney & Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1881), pag­es 148–49.

Music: John R. Swe­ney (🔊 pdf nwc).

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John Sweney (1837–1899)

Lyrics

The ev­er­green branch­es are wav­ing around us,
And sweet­ly our car­ols in har­mo­ny ring,
While here we are ga­thered to wel­come with rap­ture
The birth of our Sav­ior, Re­deem­er, and king.

Refrain

Hark! the mu­sic of the an­gels
Floating on­ward still we hear;
Blessèd mu­sic, sweet­est chor­us
Ever sung to mor­tal ear.

How gra­cious­ly fa­vored the shep­herds of Ju­dah,
Who guard­ed their flocks on that won­der­ful morn,
When le­gions des­cend­ed, pro­claim­ing the tid­ings
That Je­sus, the pro­mised Re­deem­er, was born.

Refrain

How hum­ble His birth­place, how low­ly His cra­dle,
O ten­der com­pas­sion, O in­fi­nite love!
The Son of the High­est our na­ture as­sum­ing
That we might in­her­it the man­sions above.

Refrain

The sweet chim­ing bells with our car­ols are blend­ing,
A glad, mer­ry Christ­mas they joy­ful­ly ring.
While here we are ga­thered to wel­come with rap­ture
The birth of our Sav­ior, Re­deem­er, and king.

Refrain