Sons of men, behold from far

Sons of men, behold from far

Author: Charles Wesley
Tune: INNOCENTS
Published in 102 hymnals

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Full Text

1 Sons of men, behold from far,
Hail the long-expected star;
Jacob's star that gilds the night,
Guides bewilder'd nature right.

2 Mild it shines on all beneath,
Piercing through the shades of death;
Scattering error's wide-spread night,
Kindling darkness into light.

3 Nations all, remote and near,
Haste to see your God appear:
Haste, for Him your hearts prepare,
Meet Him manifested there.

4 There behold the Day-spring rise,
Pouring light upon your eyes:
See it chase the shades away,
Shining to the perfect day.

5 Sing, ye morning stars again,
God descends on earth to reign,
Deigns for man His life to employ;
shout, ye sons of God, for joy.

Hymnal: according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, 1871

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Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the "Bard of Methodism." His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the "Wesleyan Hymn Book," 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone,… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: Sons of men, behold from far
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 7.7.7.7
Language: English
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Notes

Sons of men, behold from far. C. Wesley. [Epiphany.] Published in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "Hymn for the Epiphany." (Poetical Works, 1868-72, volumes i. p. 184.) In M. Madan's Psalms & Hymns, 1760, it was given as No. 23, and was thus brought into use in the Church of England. It is seldom given in modern hymn books in its full form; and slight alterations are nearly always found in the text. It is in extensive use in most English-speaking countries. Notwithstanding this popularity it was excluded from the Wesleyan Hymn Book of 1780 and 1875. In the Cooke and Denton Hymnal, 1853, stanzas iv., v., vi., of this hymn, rewritten, together with an opening stanza and a doxology from another source, were given as, "Lo, the Gentiles bend the knee." This cento was repeated in the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, and other collections. Sometimes it reads, "Lo, the Gentiles bend the knee."

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Instances

Instances (102)TextImageAudioScore
A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (10th ed.) #111Image
A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #111Text
A Collection of Evangelical Hymns; made from Different Authors and Collections for the English Lutheran Church in New York #d215
A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #162Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #218Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #603Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the use of Universalist Societies and Families (13th ed.) #271Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #271Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns: from Watts, Doddridge, and others (4th ed. with an appendix) #229Image
A Liturgy and Hymns for Church Sunday Schools #32Image
A New Service and Tune Book for Sunday Schools. New ed. #d117
A Selection of Hymns, adapted to the devotions of the closet, the family, and the social circle; and containing subjects appropriate to the monthly concerns of prayer for the success... #563Image
A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for ... Diocese of Nova Scotia. 3rd ed. #d294
A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of the Diocese of Nova Scotia. 3rd ed. #d295
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele, and others (2nd ed.) #229Image
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns, from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele ...compiled for the use of the Unitarian Church in Philadelphia #229Image
Anglican Hymn Book #64
Christ in Song #121Image
Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d807
Church Book: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran congregations #141Image
Church Hymns with Tunes #101
Church Hymns with Tunes #115
Church Psalmist: or Psalms and Hymns Designed for the Public, Social, and Private Use of Evangelical Christians ... with Supplement. 53rd ed. #71Image
Church Psalmist: or psalms and hymns for the public, social and private use of evangelical Christians (5th ed.) #71Image
Church Psalmist: or, psalms and hymns, for the public, social and private use of Evangelical Christians. With Supplement. (50th ed.) #71Image
Familiar Hymns with Music, New and Old, a Companion #d61
Gloria Deo: a Collection of Hymns and Tunes for Public Worship in all Departments of the Church #709Image
Harmonia Sacra: a Compilation of Psalm and Hymn Tunes [from the most celebrated European masters] #221Image
Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home #364Image
Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home and Services for Congregational Worship. Rev. ed. #d632
Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home. (Rev. ed.) #347Image
Hymnal: according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America #47Text
Hymnal: according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America : Revised edition (1874) #47Image
Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #47
Hymnal of the Reformed Episcopal Church, adopted in General Council, Chicago, May 1879 #d277
Hymns and Songs of Praise for Public and Social Worship #175Image
Hymns for Children and Young Persons #d367
Hymns for Public Worship #316Image
Hymns for Social Worship and Private Devotion #d141
Hymns for the Christian Church, for the Use of the First Church of Christ in Boston #82Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #242Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #242Image
Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship: with tunes #221Image
Hymns for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, by the Authority of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania #140Image
Hymns for Youth, Suitable to be Used in Sabbath and Parochial Schools #44Image
Hymns of the Spirit #697Image
Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons #d189
Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons 3rd Am. from 9th London ed. #d202
Liturgy and Hymnal for the Use of the General Church of the New Jerusalem #d93
Massachusetts Sabbath School Hymn Book #d166
Melodies and Hymns for Divine Service in Appleton Chapel #d52
Musica Sacra; or Springfield and Utica Collections United #d130
Musica Sacra: or, Springfield and Utica Collections United: consisting of Psalm and hymn tunes, anthems, and chants (2nd revised ed.) #111Image
New Service and Tune Book for Sunday School #d115
Palm Leaves: a collection of Sunday school tunes and carols for the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church #25Image
Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes; for the use of Christian Congregations #979Image
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: selected and designed for the use of the church universal, in public and private devotion; with an appendix, containing the original hymns omitted in the last ed. #81Image
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: selected and original, designed for the use of the Church Universal in public and private devotion #CXXVIImage
Sacred Poetry #82Image
Seamen's Hymns #71Image
Seamen's Hymns and Devotional Assistant #d540
Social Psalmist: or hymns, selected for the private use and social meetings of evangelical Christians #71Image
Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #ad992
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian Worship #1157Image
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian worship #1157Image
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian Worship #1157Image
Songs for the Sanctuary; or Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Baptist Ed.) #1157Image
Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #1157Image
Songs of the Church: or, hymns and tunes for Christian worship #688Image
Sunday School Book for ... Evangelical Lutheran Congregations, by Authority of the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America #d177
Sunday School Hymnal #d370
The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book: being "The Plymouth Collection" enlarged and adapted to the use of Baptist churches #979Image
The Baptist Praise Book #1237Image
The Book of Common Praise, being the Hymn Book of the Church of England in Canada. Annotated ed. #d592
The Book of Praise: or, Hymns for Public and Social Worship #d690
The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d308
The Chapel Hymn Book [for Warren and Pitt St. Chapels, Boston]. 4th ed. #d313
The Chapel hymn book, with tunes: for the worship of God #201Image
The Choral: a Collection of Church Music, Adapted to the Worship of All Denominations #d182
The Christian Psalmist: being a collection of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs compiled from the most approved authors, and designed as a standard hymn book for public and social worship #190Image
The Christian Psalter #d485
The Church Hymnal with Canticles #47bImage
The Church Hymnal with Canticles #47aImage
The Friends' Hymnal, a Collection of Hymns and Tunes for the Public Worship of the Society #d550
The Gospel Psalmist #244Image
The Liturgy and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum #91Image
The Philadelphia Hymn Book; or, a selection of sacred poetry, consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts...and others, adapted to public and private devotion #229Image
The Sabbath School Melodist: being a selection of hymns with appropriate music; for the use of Sabbath schools, families and social meetings #141Image
The Sabbath School Service and Hymn Book #d43
The Sarum Hymnal #70
The Southern Psalmist #d743
The Southern Psalmist. New ed. #d781
The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #349Image
The St. Alban Hymnal #d383
The Sunday School Liturgy #d48
The Universalist Hymn Book: a New Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies. 4th ed. #d401
The Universalist Hymn-Book: a new collection of psalms and hymns, for the use of Universalist Societies (Stereotype ed.) #334Image
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