38 From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

1 "From heav'n above to earth I come To bear good news to ev'ry home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing: 2 "To you this night is born a child Of Mary, chosen virgin mild; This little child of lowly birth Shall be the joy of all the earth. 3 "This is the Christ, our God most high, Who hears your sad and bitter cry; He will himself your Savior be From all your sins to set you free. 4 "He will on you the gifts bestow Prepared by God for all below, That in his kingdom, bright and fair, You may with us his glory share. 5 "These are the signs which you shall mark: The swaddling clothes and manger dark. There you will find the infant laid By whom the heav'ns and earth were made." 6 How glad we'll be to find it so! Then with the shepherds let us go To see what God for us has done In sending us his own dear Son. 7 Come here, my friends, lift up your eyes, And see what in the manger lies. Who is this child, so young and fair? It is the Christchild lying there. 8 Welcome to earth, O noble Guest, Through whom the sinful world is blest! You came to share my misery That you might share your joy with me. 9 Ah, Lord, though you created all, How weak you are, so poor and small, That you should choose to lay your head Where lowly cattle lately fed! 10 Were earth a thousand times as fair And set with gold and jewels rare, It would be far too poor and small A cradle for the Lord of all. 11 Instead of soft and silken stuff You have but hay and straw so rough On which as King, so rich and great, To be enthroned in royal state. 12 And so it pleases you to see This simple truth revealed to me: That all the world's wealth, honor, might Are weak and worthless in your sight. 13 Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled Within my heart, made clean and new, A quiet chamber kept for you. 14 My heart for very joy must leap; My lips no more can silence keep. I, too, must sing with joyful tongue That sweetest ancient cradle song: 15 Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto us his Son has given! While angels sing with pious mirth A glad new year to all the earth.