The Foreglow

Now an­gels down have flown

Now glo­ry bright has shone

Now shep­herds see the light and hear the voice:

Fear not; be­hold

I bring

Glad tid­ings of your king;

Let all the na­tions of earth now re­joice.

Sing a new song to­night

Sing

all ye stars of light

The Lord of Glo­ry leaves His glo­ri­ous heav’n.

To earth be­hold Him come

From His ce­les­ti­al home;

To us a child is born

a son is giv’n!

O mu­sic of the past

The sweet­est and the last

Of all the notes of ages gone is this

That tells of His great birth

That sings of peace on earth

And man re­stored to more than pri­mal bliss.

O lin­ger­ing night

speed on!

Arise

thou gold­en sun

And bring in ea­ger joy the day of days.

When the eter­nal Word

Creation’s King and Lord

Takes flesh that He may flesh to glo­ry raise.

O wail­ing winds

be still

O’er sea and plain and hill;

O storm and thun­der

halt your tu­mult

cease;

And breathe

thou lov­ing gale

Thy od­ors soft ex­hale

To greet the com­ing of the Prince of Peace.

He comes to breathe our air

Our ve­ry flesh to wear;

He comes to die our death

to bear our load;

He comes to still our fears

To wipe our fall­ing tears

To heal and bless us—O Je­sus of God!

Over yon si­lent peak

I see the fore­glow break

That tells of glo­ry earth has nev­er known;

The glo­ry of the King

To whom all tribes shall bring

Their deep­est hom­age

praise

hon­or and crown.

Sing out

ye sons of men

A louder

lof­ti­er strain!

Lift up your voice

O hap­py

blest Beth­le­hem!

Let psalm and hymn as­cend

And with the in­cense blend

Arising from thy shrine

Je­ru­sa­lem!