The reading for today is John 1:1–14

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. [8] He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
[9] The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. [11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (ESV)

There are three carols for today. The first is by Thomas Pestel, “Behold, the Great Creator Makes Himself a House of Clay.” It is admittedly less familiar, but nevertheless gets at the marvelous mystery of the incarnation.  

Behold, the great Creator makes
Himself a house of clay,
a robe of virgin flesh He takes
which He will wear for aye.

Hark, hark, the wise eternal Word
like a weak infant cries!
In form of servant is the Lord,
and God in cradle lies.

This wonder struck the world amazed,
it shook the starry frame;
squadrons of spirits stood and gazed,
then down in troops they came.

Glad shepherds ran to view this sight;
a choir of angels sings,
and eastern sages with delight
adore this King of kings.

Join then, all hearts that are not stone,
and all our voices prove,
to celebrate this holy One,
the God of peace and love.

The final hymn is “Fairest Lord Jesus.”

[1] Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, [2] saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

    [6] “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
    for from you shall come a ruler
        who will shepherd my people Israel.’”    

    [7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” [9] After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (ESV)

This is a regal story. Matthew keeps emphasizing that the child born is the Christ. Yet, as the real king was born, and the Jewish rulers and spiritual leaders were apathetic and ignorant. Meanwhile, foreign dignitaries brought him gifts and the worship due him. King Jesus brings them “exceedingly . . . great joy.” The Gospel reading is pointing at us, in a way. Whom are we more like when it comes to our response to the Christ? 

Christmas II

George Herbert

The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?
      My God, no hymn for Thee?
My soul’s a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
      Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is Thy word: the streams, Thy grace
      Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
      Outsing the daylight hours.
Then will we chide the sun for letting night
      Take up his place and right:
We sing one common Lord; wherefore he should
      Himself the candle hold.
I will go searching, till I find a sun
      Shall stay, till we have done;
A willing shiner, that shall shine as gladly,
      As frost-nipped suns look sadly.
Then will we sing, and shine all our own day,
      And one another pay:
His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine,
Till ev’n His beams sing, and my music shine.

The carol for today is “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” words by Charles Wesley and George Whitefield and tune by Felix Mendelssohn.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise;
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold Him come,
offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel. [Refrain]

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth. [Refrain]

Come, Desire of nations, come,
fix in us Thy humble home;
rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Adam’s likeness now efface,
stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
reinstate us in Thy love. [Refrain]

Including today’s, there are only three more posts for this advent calendar series. Today’s reading comes from Luke 2:7–21. Read the passage carefully. Surely something profitable will stand out, even with a well-worn passage like this. 

[7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

[8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

    [14] “Glory to God in the highest,
        and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

    [15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

[21] And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (ESV)

Look through the passage. What are the responses that God intends for us to have, either by direct word or example? No fear. Joy. Praise. Glory to God. Obedience. Wonder. Treasuring up the events. Pondering them. Glory again. Praise. 

Speaking of joy and wonder, the carol for today is “All My Heart this Night Rejoices.” This is a Lutheran Christmas hymn by Paul Gerhardt, translated into English by Catherine Winkworth. 

All my heart this night rejoices
as I hear far and near
sweetest angel voices.
“Christ is born,” their choirs are singing
till the air ev’rywhere
now with joy is ringing.

Forth today the Conqu’ror goeth,
who the foe, sin and woe,
death and hell, o’erthroweth.
God is man, man to deliver;
His dear Son now is one
with our blood forever.

3 Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
who, to save, freely gave
His most cherished Treasure?
To redeem us, He hath given
His own Son from the throne
of His might in heaven.

4 He becomes the Lamb that taketh
sin away and for aye
full atonement maketh.
For our life His own He tenders;
and our race, by His grace,
fit for glory renders.

5 Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
soft and sweet, doth entreat,
“Flee from woe and danger;
brethren, from all ills that grieve you
you are freed; all you need
I will surely give you.”

6 Come, then, banish all your sadness,
one and all, great and small;
come with songs of gladness.
Love Him who with love is glowing;
hail the star, near and far
light and joy bestowing.

7 Dearest Lord, Thee will I cherish.
Though my breath fail in death,
yet I shall not perish,
but with Thee abide for ever
there on high, in that joy
which can vanish never.

The words of the carol “What Sweeter Music” were written by the English poet Robert Herrick. John Rutter has set these words to a beautiful score. 

[CHORUS] What sweeter music can we bring,
Than a carol, for to sing
The birth of this our heavenly King?
Awake the voice! Awake the string!
Heart, ear, and eye, and everything.
Awake! the while the active finger
Runs division with the singer.

[VOICE 1] Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
And give the honor to this day,
That sees December turned to May.

[2] If we may ask the reason, say
The why, and wherefore, all things here
Seem like the springtime of the year?

[3] Why does the chilling Winter’s morn
Smile, like a field beset with corn?
Or smell, like to a mead new-shorn,
Thus, on the sudden?

[4] Come and see
The cause, why things thus fragrant be:
‘Tis He is born, whose quickening birth
Gives life and luster, public mirth,
To heaven, and the under-earth.

[CHORUS] We see Him come, and know Him ours,
Who, with His sunshine, and His showers,
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

[1] The darling of the world is come,
And fit it is, we find a room
To welcome Him. [2] The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart,

[CHORUS] Which we will give Him; and bequeath
This holly, and this ivy wreath,
To do Him honor; who’s our King,
And Lord of all this reveling.

[1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. (ESV)

Once again, we see the connection of the Old Testament prophecies with the baby who will be born of Mary: “the city of David,” “Bethlehem,” “house and lineage of David.” All the prophecies given by God in the Old Testament and through the angelic messengers are heading toward this great moment. 

Before today’s carol, consider one of the great English poet John Donne’s impeccable poems on the true meaning of Christmas.

Annunciation

Salvation to all that will is nigh;
That All, which always is all everywhere,
Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear,
Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die,
Lo, faithful virgin, yields Himself to lie
In prison, in thy womb; and though He there
Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet He will wear,
Taken from thence, flesh, which death’s force may try.
Ere by the spheres time was created, thou
Wast in His mind, who is thy Son and Brother;
Whom thou conceivst, conceived; yea thou art now
Thy Maker’s maker, and thy Father’s mother;
Thou hast light in dark, and shutst in little room,
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb.

Today’s carol is Christina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter.” We’ll give first the traditional setting by Gustav Holst. The second setting is the Holst tune arranged by Mack Wilberg. The final setting–also wonderful–is by Harold Darke. 

In the bleak midwinter
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone:
snow had fallen,
snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter,
long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Enough for him whom cherubim
worship night and day,
a breastful of milk
and a mangerful of hay:
enough for him
whom angels fall down before,
the ox and ass and camel
which adore.

Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air,
but only his mother,
in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the Beloved
with a kiss.

What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him,
give my heart.

[57] Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. [58] And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. [59] And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, [60] but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” [61] And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” [62] And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. [63] And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. [64] And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. [65] And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, [66] and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

[67] And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

    [68] “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
        for he has visited and redeemed his people
    [69] and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
        in the house of his servant David,
    [70] as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
    [71] that we should be saved from our enemies
        and from the hand of all who hate us;
    [72] to show the mercy promised to our fathers
        and to remember his holy covenant,
    [73] the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
    [74]     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
    might serve him without fear,
    [75]     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
    [76] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
        for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
    [77] to give knowledge of salvation to his people
        in the forgiveness of their sins,
    [78] because of the tender mercy of our God,
        whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
    [79] to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
        to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

    [80] And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. (ESV)

Notice again, toward the end of Zechariah’s prophecy, how once again the real focus of the narrative is on Jesus. 

The carol for today is the traditional English carol, the Sussex Carol, “On Christmas Night All Christians Sing.” 

On Christmas night all Christians sing
to hear the news the angels bring;
on Christmas night all Christians sing
to hear the news the angels bring:
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should men on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad?
Then why should men on earth be sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin He set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?

When sin departs before His grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before His grace,
then life and health come in its place;
angels and men with joy may sing,
all for to see the newborn King.

All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
“Glory to God and peace to men,
now and forevermore. Amen.”

[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19] And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

    [23] “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
        and they shall call his name Immanuel”


    (which means, God with us). [24] When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, [25] but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (ESV)

We get a sense, even in the sparseness of the story, how Joseph responded to the news that the woman whom he was set to marry was now carrying a child that most certainly did not belong to him. Yet the focus of the story is not Joseph, it is on Jesus. What do we discover about Jesus in this story? He is the Christ. He is Immanuel. He is the son foretold in Isaiah 7. What else?

The hymn for today is “Good Christian Men, Rejoice.” This is John Mason Neale’s English translation of the Latin hymn, “In Dulci Jubilo.”

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
1 Give ye heed to what we say:
News! News!
Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before Him bow,
and He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
2 Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Joy! Joy!
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened heaven’s door,
and man is blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice!
3 Now ye need not fear the grave:
Peace! Peace!
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!

[46] And Mary said,

    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
    [47]     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    [48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
        For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
    [49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
        and holy is his name.
    [50] And his mercy is for those who fear him
        from generation to generation.
    [51] He has shown strength with his arm;
        he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
    [52] he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
        and exalted those of humble estate;
    [53] he has filled the hungry with good things,
        and the rich he has sent away empty.
    [54] He has helped his servant Israel,
        in remembrance of his mercy,
    [55] as he spoke to our fathers,
        to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

    [56] And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. (ESV)

The song includes all that we might expect given Mary’s calling to be the mother of the long-promised Christ. She demonstrates humility, awe, confidence, joy, and praise to God for keeping his promises “to Abraham and to his offspring.” What do you notice in Mary’s words that seem to connect to her calling to be the mother of the Lord? 

Today’s “carol” is more of an anthem. Mary’s Magnificat has been set to music so beautifully by so many composers, it’s appropriate to include one here. The most famous Magnificat is probably J. S. Bach’s triumphant setting. Here I have selected the English setting by Herbert Howell (1892-1983) (the Gloucester Service setting). 

The Scripture reading for today is Luke 1:39-45. Notice how Elizabeth prophesies by the Holy Spirit and gives priority to Mary and her son. John’s mother Elizabeth shows the same tendency of her prophet son, who will say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The prophet himself joins his mother in with the exultation over the son of David to be born, leaping in his mother’s womb. 

[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry,

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (ESV)

The carol for today is “I Wonder as I Wander.” This is a traditional American carol. 

1 I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
how Jesus the Savior did come for to die
for poor ordinary people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus, ’twas in a cow’s stall
with wise men and farmers and shepherd and all.
but high from God’s heaven a star’s light did fall,
and the promise of ages it did then recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
a star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
or all of God’s angels in heaven for to sing,
he surely could have it, ’cause he was the King.

I wonder as I wander, out under the sky,
how Jesus the Savior did come for to die
for poor ordinary people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.

[26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” [29] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. [30] And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
[34] And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
[35] And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. [36] And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. [37] For nothing will be impossible with God.” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (ESV)

The passage highlights the Mary’s faith and humble submission to the will of God. Even more, it highlights the extraordinary child she will bear. She will conceived, though a virgin. The Christ, the Son of the Most High, will be born of her.

The carol for today is a Basque carol, “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came.”

The Angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
‘All hail,’ said he, ‘thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

‘For know a blessèd Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold;
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
‘To me be as it pleaseth God,’ she said.
‘My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name’:
most highly favoured lady.
Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
‘Most highly favored lady.’
Gloria!

[5] In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. [6] And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. [7] But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
[8] Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, [9] according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. [11] And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [12] And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. [13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [16] And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, [17] and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
[18] And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” [19] And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [20] And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [21] And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. [22] And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. [23] And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
[24] After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, [25] “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” (ESV)

The carol for today is “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People,” a hymn setting based on Isaiah 40. The tune comes from John Calvin’s Geneva in The Genevan Psalter. 

Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
comfort those who sit in darkness
mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them!
Tell her that her sins I cover,
and her warfare now is over.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
blotting out each dark misdeed;
all that well deserved His anger
He will no more see nor heed.
She hath suffered many a day,
now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
into ever-springing gladness.

For Elijah’s voice is crying
in the desert far and near,
bidding all men to repentance,
since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey,
now prepare for God a way;
let the valleys rise to meet Him,
and the hills bow down to greet Him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain,
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits His holy reign;
for the glory of the LORD
now o’er earth is shed abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that His Word is never broken.