Blessed night, when first that plain

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Blessed night, when first that plain

Author: Horatius Bonar (1857)
Tune: ST. EANSWYTH
Published in 28 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 Blessed night, when first that plain,
Echoed with the joyful strain:
"Peace has come to earth again."

2 Blessèd hills that heard the song
Of the glorious angel throng
Swelling all your slopes along.

3 Happy shepherds on whose ear
Fell the tidings glad and clear,
"God to man is drawing near."

4 Thus revealed to shepherd's eyes,
Hidden from the great and wise,
Entering earth in lowly guise--

5 We adore Thee as our King,
And to Thee our song we sing;
Our best offering to Thee bring.

6 Blessèd Babe of Bethlehem,
Owner of earth's diadem,
Claim and wear the radiant gem.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

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Author: Horatius Bonar

Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Blessed night, when first that plain
Author:	Horatius Bonar (1857)
Meter:	7.7.7 with alleluia
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Blessed night, when first that plain. H. Bonar. [Christmas.] Published in his Hymns of Faith & Hope, 1st series, 1857, in 34 stanzas of 3 lines, and headed, " The Shepherds' Plain." In the Irish Church Hymnal, 1873, two centos are given from this poem, (1) "Blessed night, when first that plain," and (2) "Mighty King of Righteousness"; and in Mrs. Brock's Children's Hymn Book, 1881, No. 72, a cento is given as "Blessed night, when Bethlehem's plain," with "Alleluia " as a refrain. No. 73, in the same Collection and in the same metre, "Hark, what music fills the sky," is attributed to Dr Bonar in error. It forms a good companion hymn to "Blessed night, when first that plain."

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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