Hymn
The Nativity of Christ
Behold, the grace appears!
The promise is fulfilled;
Mary, the wondrous virgin, bears,
And Jesus is the child.
[The Lord, the highest God,
Calls him his only Son;
He bids him rule the lands abroad,
And gives him David's throne.
O'er Jacob shall he reign
With a peculiar sway;
The nations shall his grace obtain,
His kingdom ne'er decay.]
To bring the glorious news
A heav'nly form appears;
He tells the shepherds of their joys,
And banishes their fears.
"Go, humble swains," said he,
"To David's city fly;
The promised infant born to-day
Doth in a manger lie."
"With looks and hearts serene,
Go visit Christ your King;
And straight a flaming troop was seen:
The shepherds heard them sing:
"Glory to God on high!
And heav'nly peace on earth;
Goodwill to men, to angels joy,
At the Redeemer's birth!
[In worship so divine,
Let saints employ their tongues;
With the celestial hosts we join,
And loud repeat their songs:
"Glory to God on high!
And heav'nly peace on earth;
Goodwill to men, to angels joy,
At our Redeemer's birth!"]
The Nativity of Christ — Text from The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, 1835. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/the-nativity-of-christ
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote The Nativity of Christ?
The words of The Nativity of Christ were written by Isaac Watts; the version here was published in 1835. The library holds 248 more hymns by Isaac Watts, including Praise to our Creator and Awake, my heart; arise, my tongue.
Is The Nativity of Christ public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, published in 1835. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of The Nativity of Christ?
The Nativity of Christ is in Short Metre (6.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Christ, My Guide, Kneeling, Pleading, Waiting and Struggling After Christ.