THOU, JESUS CHRIST, yea, THOU alone,
Descending from THY FATHER'S Throne,
The heavenly likeness canst restore,
GOD's Image, which at first we bore.
Send HIM, ye Heavens, from above,
That so the earth, with grateful love,
May th' EVERLASTING SEED embrace,
The SAVIOUR of our long-lost race.
All praise and glory we afford
TO JESUS, the Incarnate Word:
And God the FATHER we adore,
And HOLY GHOST, for evermore.
39 Draw nigh, draw nigh, EMMANUEL,
And loose THY captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of GOD appear!
Rejoice! rejoice! EMMANUEL
Is born for thee, O Israel!
O ROD of Jesse's stem, arise
And free us from our enemies,
And set us loose from Satan's chains,
And from the pit with all its pains!
Rejoice! rejoice! EMMANUEL
Is born for thee, O Israel!
THOU, the true East, draw nigh, draw nigh,
To give us comfort from on high!
And drive away the shades of night,
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!
Rejoice! rejoice! EMMANUEL
Is born for thee, O Israel!
KEY of the House of David, come!
Re-open THOU our Heavenly home!
Make safe the way that we must go,
And close the path that leads below.
Rejoice! rejoice! EMMANUEL
Is born for thee, O Israel!
RULER and LORD, draw nigh, draw nigh,
WHO to THY flock in Sinai
Didst give, of ancient times, THY Law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! rejoice! EMMANUEL
Is born for thee, O Israel! Amen.
40 Lo! He comes! let all adore Him!
'Tis the God of grace and truth!
Go! prepare the way before Him!
Make the rugged places smooth!
Lo! He comes! the mighty Lord!
Great His work, and His reward.
Let the valleys all be raised:
Go and make the crooked straight;
Let the mountains be abasèd ;
Let all nature change its state;
Through the desert mark a road,
Make a highway for our God.
Through the desert God is going,
Through the desert waste and wild,
Where no goodly plant is growing,
Where no verdure ever smiled;
But the desert shall be glad,
And with verdure soon be clad.
Where the thorn and briar flourished,
Trees shall there be seen to grow,
Planted by the Lord and nourished,
Stately, fair, and fruitful too;
They shall rise on every side,
They shall spread their branches wide.
From the hills and lofty mountains
Rivers shall be seen to flow,
There the Lord will open fountains,
Thence supply the plains below;
As He passes, every land
Shall confess His powerful Hand.
41 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates,
Behold the KING of Glory waits:
The KING of Kings is drawing near,
The SAVIOUR of the world is here;
Life and salvation doth HE bring,
Wherefore rejoice, and gladly sing,
Praise, O my GOD, all praise to THEE!
Creator, wise is THY decree!
Fling wide the portals of your heart,
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use, for Heaven's employ,
Adorn'd with prayer, and love, and joy;
So shall your SOVEREIGN enter in,
And new and nobler life begin.
Praise, O my GOD, all praise be THINE,
For word, and deed, and grace divine.
REDEEMER, Come! I open wide
My heart to THEE: here, LORD, abide.
Let me THY inward Presence feel,
THY grace and power to me reveal;
THY Holy SPIRIT guide us on,
Until our glorious goal be won!
Eternal praise and endless fame
Be offer'd, SAVIOUR, to THY Name. Amen.
42 The LORD will come! the earth shall quake
The hills their fixed seat forsake;
And, withering, from the vault of night,
The stars withdraw their feeble light.
The LORD will come! but not the same
As once in lowly form He came,
A silent LAMB to slaughter led,
The bruis'd, the suffering, and the dead.
The LORD will come! a dreadful Form,
With wreath of flame, and robe of storm,
On cherub wings, and wings of wind,
Anointed Judge of human-kind!
Can this be HE WHO wont to stray
A pilgrim on the world's highway,
By power oppress'd, and mock'd by pride?
Can this be HE, the Crucified?
Go, tyrants, to the rocks complain,
Go, seek the mountain's cleft in vain,
But Faith, victorious o'er the tomb,
Shall sing for joy-"The LORD is come!" Amen.
43 Lo! He comes, with clouds descending, Once for favour'd sinners slain; Thousand thousand saints attending Swell the triumph of His train! Alleluia!
Ev'ry eye shall now behold HIM
Rob'd in dreadful majesty;
They who set at nought and sold HIM,
Pierced and nail'd HIM to the Tree,
Deeply wailing,
Shall the dread MESSIAH see.
Still the tokens of His Passion
See His dazzling Body bear,
Cause of endless exultation
To each ransom'd worshipper;
Here our refuge,
And our blissful vision there.
See Redemption, long expected,
Now in solemn pomp appear!
All His saints by men rejected
Rise to meet HIM in the air:
Alleluia!
Angels, martyrs, all are there!
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