Scripture Verse

He that cometh from heaven is above all. John 3:31

Introduction

portrait
Peter Stryker (1826–1900)

Words: Pe­ter H. Stryk­er, in The New Gold­en Show­er, ed­it­ed by Will­iam Brad­bu­ry (New York: Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1866), num­ber 51, alt.

Music: Kai­ser­slau­tern Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1866 (🔊 pdf nwc) (re­peats last two lines of each verse).

portrait
William Bradbury
(1816–1868)

Lyrics

Sweet car­ols let us sing;
Rich of­fer­ings let us bring
To our Re­deem­er King,
Who reigns in glo­ry.
From Heav’n to earth He came;
Praise to His ho­ly name!
Let all re­deemed from shame
Rehearse the sto­ry.

Above an­gel­ic lays
Our Christ­mas hymns we raise;
With heart and voice we praise
The in­fant Je­sus.
The song as­cends on high;
It soars ab­ove the sky;
And echo gives re­ply,
From sin He frees us.

For He, the hum­ble born,
In po­ver­ty for­lorn,
Subject to bi­tter scorn,
And vile be­hav­ior;
The Great and Ho­ly One,
Was God’s an­oint­ed Son,
Who by His deeds hath won,
The name of Sav­ior.

Then on this na­tal day,
Our tri­bute let us pay,
And in a joy­ful lay
Unite our voic­es.
Loud will we raise the song,
Still sweet­est strain pro­long;
Thy Church, in one vast throng,
O Lord, re­joic­es.