MP 539
Once in royal David’s city,
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby,
in a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
who is God and Lord of all;
and His shelter was a stable,
and His cradle was a stall:
with the poor and mean and lowly
lived on earth our Saviour holy.
And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
love, and watch the lowly mother,
in whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all should be,
kind, obedient, good as He.
For He is our childhood’s pattern:
day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
tears and smiles like us He knew;
and He feels for all our sadness,
and He shares in all our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see Him,
through His own redeeming love;
for that child, so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heaven above;
and He leads His children on
to the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see Him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;
there His children gather round,
bright like stars, with glory crowned.
MP 342
Infant holy, infant lowly,
for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing,
nowells ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all;
Christ the babe is Lord of all!
Flocks were sleeping,
shepherds keeping
vigil till the morning new,
saw the glory, heard the story –
tidings of a gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you;
Christ the babe was born for you!
MP 764
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down
and glory shone around.
‘Fear not,’ said he - for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind –
‘Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind:
‘To you in David’s town this day
is born of David’s line,
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be the sign:
‘The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped
in swaddling bands, and in a manger laid.’
Thus spake the angel; and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
‘All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
goodwill henceforth
from heaven to men begin and never cease!’
Go tell it on the mountain
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
The shepherds feared and trembled
When to above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed the Saviour’s birth
When I was a seeker
I sought both night and day
I sought the Lord to help me
And He showed me the way
MP 196
Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
Listen now to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before Him bow,
and He is in the manger now:
Christ is born today,
Christ is born today.
Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
Hear the news of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this.
He has open’d heaven’s door,
and we are blessed for evermore:
Christ was born for this,
Christ was born for this.
Good Christians all, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
Now you need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save;
Come at His most gracious call,
to find salvation one and all:
Christ was born to save,
Christ was born to save.
MP 211
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.’
Joyful, all you nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!’
Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold Him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!
Hail, the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!’
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail, the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
born that man no more may die;
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald-angels sing,