Genesis 3:14,15 And the LORD God
said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art
cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the
days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Luke 2:13,14 And suddenly 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.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels
sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n
adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the
herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’nly Prince of
Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n 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,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Come, Desire
of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Hark! the herald
angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Adam’s
likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the
herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
lyrics by Charles Wesley 1739
music "Mendelssohn" by Felix
Mendelssohn 1840
This must be Charles Wesley's and Felix
Mendelssohn's most widely known work. (Now who can forget Linus'
monologue in "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?) The words in red are
absent from the UMH. The subsequent verses seem quite
consistent with Wesleyan theology (converting from the image of
the devil to the image of God, traduccian nature of original
sin). The tune is simply titled "Mendelssohn." The
lyrics have been altered from Wesley's original version. If
anyone knows how the changes occurred over time, please
contact me. By the way, welkin refers to the vault of the
sky, or the celestial abode of God. See Wesley's original
version below.
Hark, how all the welkin
rings,
“Glory to the King of kings;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations,
rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
Universal nature say,
“Christ the Lord is born to-day!”
Christ, by highest Heaven
ador’d,
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 men to appear,
Jesus! Our Immanuel here!
Hail, the heavenly 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.
Come, Desire of nations,
come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display thy saving
power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord,
efface;
Stamp Thy image in its place.
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost,
regain,
Thee, the life, the inner Man:
O! to all thyself impart,
Form’d in each believing heart.
