Hark the Herald Angels Sing
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
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 th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Verse 2
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Verse 3
Hail the heav’nly 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.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Verse 4
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Of beauty, Thou art the sum;
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Now display Thy saving power,
Work in me, restore this hour;
O, to me Thyself impart,
Visit this believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Behind the Hymn
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was written by Charles Wesley in 1739, just one year after his evangelical conversion, and it has become one of the most beloved Christmas carols in the English language. Wesley's original opening line was actually "Hark, how all the welkin rings, glory to the King of kings" — the familiar "Hark! the herald angels sing" was changed by Wesley's friend and fellow Methodist George Whitefield when the hymn was republished in 1753. The hymn is a magnificent theological statement about the incarnation, packed with doctrinal content that many carolers sing without fully grasping — phrases like "veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity" and "mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die" express the profound mystery of God becoming man. The tune most commonly used today was adapted from a cantata by Felix Mendelssohn, composed in 1840 to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the Gutenberg printing press — Mendelssohn himself said the melody would never suit sacred words, yet it has become inseparable from Wesley's text. Wesley wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime, but this remains one of his most enduring contributions to Christian worship. The hymn's rich blend of celebration and theology makes it far more than a seasonal carol — it is a creed set to music.