Words: , in his Shef­field news­pa­per, the Iris, Christ­mas Eve, 1816. It was re­pub­lished in the Christ­ian Psalm­ist, 1825. Stan­za 5 is from The Christ­mas Box, 1825.

Music: Re­gent Square, , in Psalms and Hymns for Di­vine Wor­ship (Lon­don: 1867). Al­ter­nate tunes:

  • Lewes, cir­ca 1774
  • St. Os­mund, , in The Hymn­al Com­pan­ion, 1870

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.

Refrain

Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Refrain

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.

Refrain

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.

Refrain

Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you; break your chains.

Refrain

Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:

Refrain

All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.

Refrain


Note: In place of the verse “Sin­ners, wrung with true re­pent­ance…” some hymn­als use the fol­low­ing, writ­ten in 1855 by Isaac Greg­o­ry Smith:

Lord of Heaven, we adore Thee,
God the Father, God the Son,
God the Spirit, One in glory,
On the same eternal throne.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lord of Heaven, Three in One.


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