Unto Us a Child is Born

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Father, our hearts we lift

Author: Charles Wesley
Published in 60 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 Father, our hearts we lift
Up to thy gracious throne,
And thank thee for the precious gift
Of thine incarnate Son;
The gift unspeakable
We thankfully receive,
And to the world thy goodness tell,
And to thy glory live.

2 Jesus the holy child,
Doth by his birth declare,
That God and man are reconcil'd,
And one in him we are:
Salvation through his name
To all mankind is given,
And loud his infant cries proclaim
A peace ’twixt earth and heaven.

3 A peace on earth he brings,
Which never more shall end:
The Lord of hosts, the King of kings
Declares himself our friend;
Assumes our flesh and blood,
That we his spirit may gain;
The everlasting Son of God,
The mortal Son of man.

4 His kingdom from above
He doth to us impart,
And pure benevolence and love,
O'erflow the faithful heart:
Chang'd in a moment we
The sweet attraction find,
With open arms of charity
Embracing all mankind.

5 O might they all receive
The new born Prince of Peace,
And meekly in his spirit live,
And in his love increase!
Till he convey us home,
Cry every soul aloud,
Come, thou desire of nations come,
And take us up to God.

Source: A Pocket Hymn Book: designed as a constant companion for the pious, collected from various authors (9th ed.) #CXXIII

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Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Father, our hearts we lift
Title:	Unto Us a Child is Born
Author:	Charles Wesley
Meter:	6.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Father, our hearts we lift. C. Wesley. [Christmas.] First published in his Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord, 1745, No. 9, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 114). In its full form it is not in common use, but a cento beginning with the first four lines, and completed with odd lines from the rest of the hymn, is in common use in America. See Dr. Hatfield's Church Hymn Book, 1872, No. 408.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

ST. MICHAEL (Genevan)

LABAN

WAREHAM (Knapp)

William Knapp (b. Wareham, Dorsetshire, England, 1698; d. Poole, Dorsetshire, 1768) composed WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "coun…

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