Behold! Behold! What Wonder’s Here!

Behold! be­hold! what won­der’s here!

The gloomy night turns bright and clear

A bril­liant light dis­pels the shade

The stars be­fore it pale and fade.

A won­drous light it is

I trow

And not the an­cient sun shines now

For

con­tra­ry to na­ture

night

Is turned by it to day so bright.

What means He to an­nounce to us

Who na­ture’s course can al­ter thus?

A migh­ty work de­signed must be

When such a migh­ty sign we see.

To us vouch­saf­èd can it be

The Sun of Right­eous­ness to see

The Star from Ja­cob’s stem so bright

The wo­man’s seed

the Gen­tiles’ light?

’Tis ev­en so—for from the sky

Heav’n’s hosts with joy­ful tid­ings hie

That He is born in Beth­l’hem’s stall

Who Sav­ior is and Lord of all!

Oh bless­ed­ness! the good­ly throng

Of saint­ed fa­thers wait­ed long

To see this day

with hope de­ferred

As we may learn from God’s own word.

Behold! there in yon gloomy stall

He lies who rul­eth ov­er all;

Where once their food the cat­tle sought

The vir­gin’s child for rest is brought.

Oh

child of Ad­am! pon­der well

And stum­ble not at what I tell

He who ap­pears in this low state

For us is

and aye shall be great.

In mor­tal flesh we Him be­hold

Who all things made and doth up­hold

The word who as with God is He

Himself is God whom now we see.

It is God’s sole-be­got­ten Son

Through whom we now ap­proach His throne

The First and Last

the Prince of Peace

The Con­quer­or through whom wars case.

The times pre­dict­ed are ful­filled

God’s fie­ry wrath must now be stilled;

His Son

made man

doth bear our load

Of guilt

our peace buys with His blood.

It is a time of joy to­day

With mourn­ing and with woe away!

Woe

woe to him who us re­viled!

God’s seen in flesh—we’re re­con­ciled.

The Lord who bears our sin is here

Who’ll bruise the ser­pent’s head is near

The death of death—the woe of hell—

The Lord of Life with us doth dwell.

All foes are put our feet be­neath.

For sin and Sa­tan

hell and death

Are brought to shame and put to flight

Upon this great

this won­drous night.

Oh! hap­py world

thrice hap­py they!

Who on this low­ly In­fant stay

Their souls

and with be­liev­ing eyes

In Him their Sav­ior re­cog­nize.

No praise the Lord how­e’er can praise

Who

from their low es­tate to raise

His ene­mies

from His high throne

Sent down His loved

His on­ly Son.

Up! join the an­gel host and cry

Now glo­ry be to God most high;

Let peace pre­vail the world around.

Good-will to men and joy abound.