Phillips Brooks(1835-1893), 1868

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And, gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together

Proclaim the holy birth.

And praises sing to God the King.

And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear His coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him,

still The dear Christ enters in.

Where children, pure and happy,

Pray to the Blessed Child;

Where misery cries out to thee,

Son of the Mother mild;

Where charity stands watching,

And faith holds wide the door,

The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,

and Christmas comes once more.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in;

Be born in us today!

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel!

Once In Royal David's City

Cecil Frances Alexander(1818-1895)

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 meek and lowly,

lived on earth our Savior holy.

And through all

His wondrous childhood,

He would honor and obey,

Love and watch the lowly mother,

in whose gentle arms He lay.

Christian children all should be,

mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our child-hood's pattern,

Day by day like us He grew,

He was little, weak, and helpless,

Tears and smiles like us He knew,

And He feeleth for our sadness,

And He shareth in 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;

When like stars

His children crowned,

all in white shall be around.

Silent Night

Joseph Mohr(1792-1848), 1818

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, All is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Holy Infant so Tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight!

Glories stream from heaven afar;

Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!

Christ the Saviour is born!

Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night, holy night!

Wondrous star, lend thy light!

With the angels let us sing

Alleluia to our King!

Christ the Saviour is here,

Jesus the Saviour is here!

Silent night, Holy night!

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus Lord at thy birth;

Jesus Lord at thy birth.

The First Noel

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 702