Scripture Verse

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Introduction

Words: Su­san­na Har­ris­on (1752–1784). Ap­peared in Songs in the Night, fourth edi­tion (Ip­swich, Eng­land: Pun­chard & Jer­myn, 1788), pag­es 7–8.

Music: Muel­ler James R. Mur­ray, 1887 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

portrait
James R. Murray (1841–1905)

Lyrics

illustration
Adoration of the Shepherds
Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656)

To us, to us a child is born,
Arise and hail the glo­ri­ous morn;
Come, let us praise the God of Heav’n,
To us, to us a son is giv’n!

To us, the guil­ty race of man,
He comes! An in­fant of a span!
O let us sing His won­drous love,
Which brings sal­va­tion from above.

He comes, all po­tent, to sus­tain
In gov­ern­ment an end­less name;
Sinners, re­oice and spread His fame,
In coun­sel won­der­ful His name.

The migh­ty God—the Prince of Peace,
Whose king­dom ne­ver shall de­crease;
The ev­er­last­ing Fa­ther’s come—
How strange! A ser­vant—from the womb!

With an­gels let our souls adore
The vir­gin’s son—The Prince of pow­er;
Jesus! with praise in­spire our tongues,
And then ac­cept our grate­ful songs.

All praise to God for grace di­vine!
The hymn let saints and se­raphs join;
Let Hea­ven with hal­le­lu­jahs ring
While we adore our new-born king.