All-wise, all-good, almighty Lord All-wise, all-good, almighty Lord,
Jesus, by highest heaven adored,
E'er time its course began,
How did thy glorious mercy stoop
To take the fallen nature up,
When thou thyself wert man?

Th' Eternal God from heaven came down,
The King of glory dropped his crown,
And veiled his majesty,
Emptied of all but love he came;
Jesus, I call thee by the name
Thy pity bore for me.

O holy child, still let thy birth
Bring peace to us poor worms of earth,
And praise to God on high!
Come, thou who didst my flesh assume,
Now to the abject sinner come,
And in a manger lie.

Didst thou not in thy person join
The natures human and divine,
That God and man might be
Henceforth inseparably one?
Haste then, and make thy nature known
Incarnated in me.

In my weak sinful flesh appear,
O God, be manifested here,
Peace, righteousness, and joy,
Thy kingdom, Lord, set up within
My faithful heart, and all my sin,
The devil's work destroy.

I long thy coming to confess
The mystic power of godliness,
The life divine to prove,
The fullness of thy life to know,
Redeemed from all my sins below,
And perfected in love.

O Christ, my hope, make known in me
The great, the glorious mystery,
The hidden life impart:
Come, thou desire of nations, come,
Formed in a spotless virgin's womb,
A pure believing heart.

Come quickly, dearest Lord, that I
May own, though antichrist deny,
Thy incarnation's power,
May cry, a witness to my Lord,
"Come in my flesh is Christ, the Word,
And I can sin no more!"

Labels: christmas, wesley

  ¶ Friday, November 23, 2007