“The Son of God, in mighty love”

1. The Son of God, in mighty love,
Came down to Bethlehem for me,
Forsook His throne of light above,
An infant on the earth to be.

2. In love, the Father’s sinless Child
Sojourned at Nazareth for me;
With sinners dwelt the Undefiled,
The Holy One in Galilee.

3. Jesus Whom angel hosts adore,
Became a man of griefs for me:
In love, though rich, becoming poor,
That I, through Him, enriched might be.

4. Though Lord of all, above, below,
He went to Olivet for me;
He drank my cup of wrath and woe,
And bled in dark Gethsemane.

5. The ever-blessèd Son of God
Went up to Calvary for me:
There paid my debt, there bore my load
In His own body on the tree.

6. He finished all! the veil was rent;
Salvation now is sure and free;
I leave behind my banishment,
O Father, to return to Thee!

Horatius Bonar, 1808-89

“COME, humble souls, approach your God”

1. COME, humble souls, approach your God
With songs of sacred praise,
For He is good, immensely good,
And kind are all His ways.

2. All nature owns His guardian care,
In Him we live and move;
But nobler benefits declare
The wonders of His love.

3. He gave His Son, His only Son,
To ransom rebel worms;
’Tis here He makes His goodness known
In its diviner forms.

4. To this dear refuge, Lord, we come;
’Tis here our hope relies:
A safe defence, a peaceful home,
When storms of trouble rise.

5. Thine eye beholds with kind regard
The souls that trust in Thee;
Their humble hope Thou wilt reward
With bliss divinely free.

6. Great God, to Thine almighty love,
What honours shall we raise?
Not all the raptured songs above
Can render equal praise.

Anne Steele, 1717-78

“O LORD, our Lord, how high, how great”

1. O LORD, our Lord, how high, how great
Is Thine exalted name!
The glories of Thy heavenly state
Let men and babes proclaim.

2. When I behold Thy works on high,
The moon that rules the night,
The stars that well adorn the sky,
Those moving worlds of light.

3. Lord, what is man, or all his race,
Who dwells so far below,
That Thou shouldst visit him with grace
And love his nature so?

4. That Thine eternal Son should bear
To take a mortal form,
Made lower than His angels are,
To save a dying worm!

5. Let Him be crowned with majesty
Who bowed His head to death,
And be His honours sounded high
By all things that have breath.

6. Jesus, our Lord, how high, how great
Is Thine exalted name!
The glories of Thy heavenly state
Let the whole earth proclaim.

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748