Verse 1
Hark how all the welkin rings (Heb. 1:6)
“Glory to the King of kings,[1] (Luke 2:14, I Tim. 6:15, Rev. 19:16)
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, (Luke 2:14)
God and sinners reconcil’d! (Rom. 5:10-11, II Cor. 5:18-19, Eph. 2:14-16, Col. 1:19-21)
Verse 2
Joyful all ye nations rise, (Ps. 67:4, Ps. 100:1, Luke 2:10)
Join the triumph of the skies, (Luke 2:13-14, Ps. 96:11)
Universal nature say
“Christ the Lord is born to day!” (Luke 2:11)
Verse 3
Christ, by highest heav’n ador’d, (Heb. 1:6, Rev. 4:8-11, Rev. 5:11-12, Rev. 7:11-12, Rev. 11:16-17, Rev. 19:1-7)
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come, (Gal. 4:4)
Offspring of a virgin’s womb. (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:23)
Verse 4
Veil’d in flesh, the Godhead see, (John 1:14)
Hail th’ incarnate deity! (Col. 2:9)
Pleas’d as man with men t’ appear (Phil. 2:7-8)
Jesus, our Immanuel here! (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:23)
Verse 5
Hail the heav’nly[2] Prince of Peace! (Isa. 9:6)
Hail the Sun of righteousness! (Mal. 4:2)
Light and life to all he brings, (John 1:4-5, John 8:12)
Ris’n with healing in his wings. (Mal. 4:2)
Verse 6
Mild he lays his glory by, (Phil. 2:6-7)
Born—that man no more may die, (John 11:25-26)
Born—to raise the sons of earth, (I Cor. 15:22)
Born—to give them second birth. (John 3:3, John 3:7, I Pet. 1:23)
Verse 7
Come, desire of nations, come, (Haggai 2:7)
Fix in us thy humble home, (John 14:23)
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head. (Gen. 3:15, Rom. 16:20)
Verse 8
Now display thy saving pow’r, (Rom. 1:16)
Ruin’d nature now restore, (II Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15, Rom. 8:21)
Now in mystic union join (John 17:21-23)
Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Verse 9
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp thy image in its place, (Rom. 8:29, I Cor. 15:45-49, II Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:10)
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
Verse 10
Let us thee, tho’ lost, regain,
Thee, the life, the inner[3] man: (John 14:6, I Cor. 15:48-49)
O! To all thyself impart,
Form’d in each believing heart. (Eph. 3:16-17, Gal. 4:19)
[1] The familiar modern version of the opening lines (“Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born king!’”) was a modification made by George Whitefield in Hymns for Social Worship (1753).
[2] Wesley changed “Heav’nly” to “heaven-born” in 1739.
[3] Wesley changed “inner” to “heav’nly” in 1743.