IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
‘Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven’s all gracious King!’
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.

Yet with woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long,
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong.
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold.
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendours fling,
And all the world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
     E. H. Sears.
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CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION,
Christ the Head and Cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the church in one.
Holy Zion’s help for ever,
And her confidence alone.

All within that holy city
Dearly loved of God on high,
In exultant jubilation
Sing, in perfect harmony.
God the One-in-Three adoring
In glad hymns eternally.

We as living stones invoke You:
Come among us, Lord, today!
With Your gracious loving-kindness
Hear Your children as we pray.
And the fullness of Your blessing
In our fellowship display.

Here entrust to all Your servants
What we long from You to gain –
That on earth and in the heavens
We one people shall remain,
Till united in Your glory
Evermore with You we reign.

Praise and honour to the Father,
Praise and honour to the Son,
Praise and honour to the Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One:
One in power and one in glory
While eternal ages run.
     J.M. Neale 
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LO, HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in glorious majesty.
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,
Deeply wailing,
Deeply wailing,
Shall their true Messiah see.

Those dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears.
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers:
With what rapture,
With what rapture,
With what rapture,
Gaze we on those glorious scars.

Yea, Amen, let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne.
Saviour, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own:
Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Everlasting God, come down!
      Charles Wesley.

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HAIL TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

He comes, with succour speedy,
To those who suffer wrong.
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong.
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.

He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth.
Love, joy and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him, on the mountains,
Shall peace, the herald, go.
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.

Kings shall fall before Him,
And gold and incense bring.
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend,
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

O’er every foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blessed.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove.
His name shall stand forever,
His changeless name of Love.
     James Montgomery.
Contributors:   Revd Graham Summers, Deborah Yeates, David Carter, Roger and Christine Edwards, Peter and Eve Nelson.
Production:   David Carter