2 Silent night! hallowed night! On the plain wakes the strain, Sung by heavenly harbingers bright, Fraught with tidings of boundless delight: Christ the Saviour has come.
3 Silent night! hallowed night! Earth awake, silence break, High your anthems of melody raise, Heaven and earth in full chorus of praise: Peace for ever shall reign.
132 H. M. Good tidings of great joy. Luke 2.
Hark! hark! the notes of joy Roll o’er the heavenly plains, And seraphs find employ For their sublimest strains: Some new delight in heaven is known; Loud sound the harps around the throne.
2 Hark! hark! the sound draws nigh— The joyful host descends; The Lord forsakes the sky, To earth his footsteps bends: He comes to bless our fallen race; He comes with messages of grace.
3 Bear, bear the tidings round! Let every mortal know What love in God is found, What pity he can show: Ye winds that blow, ye waves that roll, Bear the glad news from pole to pole.
4 Strike, strike the harps again, To great Immanuel’s name! Arise, ye sons of men, And all his grace proclaim: Angels and men, wake every string, ’Tis God the Saviour’s praise we sing!
133 8s & 7s. Shepherds, hail the wondrous stranger.
Shepherds! hail the wondrous stranger, Now to Bethlehem speed your way; Lo! in yonder humble manger, Christ, the Lord, is born to-day.
2 Bright the star of your salvation, Pointing to his rude abode; Rapturous news for every nation: Now, behold the Son of God.
3 Love eternal moved the Saviour, Thus to lay his radiance by; Blessings on the Lamb for ever; Glory be to God on high.
134 8s & 7s. Chorus of the angels. Luke 2:14.
Hark! what joyful notes are swelling On the quiet midnight air! ’Tis the voice of angels telling, Jesus comes our sins to bear! Now the music, in its gladness, Breaks and swells, and glides along! Now, earth, waking from her sadness, Joins the chorus of the song! Glory in the highest heaven! Peace on earth, good-will to man! Let all praise to God be given, For Redemption’s glorious plan!
2 See all darkness disappearing, As the star begins to rise! Sin and death stand trembling, fearing, As the light falls on their eyes: Now, again, the earth rejoices, Satan’s powerful kingdom shakes, As, from all the heavenly voices, Louder still the chorus breaks! Glory in the highest heaven! etc.
3 Rise and shine, Star of Salvation! Spread thy beams o’er all the earth, Till each distant land and nation Owns and speaks thy matchless worth! Till all tongues, thy praises singing, Shall thy mighty wonders tell, Till all heaven with joy is ringing, As our hearts the chorus swell: Glory in the highest heaven! etc.
4 When our days on earth are ended, And we rise to worlds above, Then our songs shall all be blended In one song of pardoning love! Then we’ll tell the wondrous story, And our blesséd Lord adore; In our home of bliss and glory We shall sing for evermore! Glory in the highest heaven! Sound aloud the joyful strain! Glory to the Lamb be given, Who for sinners once was slain!
135 8s & 7s. Hark! what mean those holy voices?
Hark! what mean those holy voices, Sweetly sounding through the skies? Lo! th’ angelic host rejoices! Heavenly hallelujahs rise.
2 Hear them tell the wondrous story, Hear them chant in hymns of joy— “Glory to the highest, glory! Glory be to God most high!
3 “Peace on earth, good-will from heaven, Reaching far as man is found; Souls redeemed and sins forgiven!” Loud our golden harps shall sound.
4 “Christ is born, the great anointed; Heaven and earth his praises sing; O receive whom God appointed, For your Prophet, Priest, and King!
5 “Haste, ye mortals, to adore him; Learn his name, and taste his joy; Till in heaven ye sing before him— “‘Glory be to God most high!’”
136 8s & 7s. Christ, the Saviour, born.
Hail, thou long-expected Jesus! Born to set thy people free; From our sins and fears release us, Let us find our rest in thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the saints, thou art; Longdesired of every nation, Joy of every waiting heart.
3 Born, thy people to deliver— Born a child, yet Christ, our King— Born to reign in us for ever— Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all-sufficient merit, Raise us to thy glorious throne.
137 8s, 7s & 4. Come and worship.
Angels, from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o’er all the earth, Ye who sang creation’s story, Now proclaim Messiah’s birth: Come and worship, Worship Christ, the new-born King.