The holy Son of God most high

Representative Text

1 The holy Son of God most high,
For love of Adam’s lapsed race,
Quit the sweet pleasures of the sky
To bring us to that happy place.

2 His robes of light he laid aside,
Which did his majesty adorn,
And the frail state of mortals tried,
In human flesh and figure born.

3 Whole choirs of angels loudly sing
The mystery of his sacred birth,
And the blest news to shepherds bring,
Filling their watchful souls with mirth.

4 The Son of God thus man became,
That men the sons of God might be,
And by their second birth regain
A likeness to his deity.

Source: Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #34

Author: Henry More

More, Henry, D.D., was b. at Grantham in 1614, and educated at Eton and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1635, and became a Fellow of his College in 1639. He declined various offers of high preferment. He spent his time mainly in the study of philosophy and as a private tutor. He died in 1687. In 1640 he published his Psychozoia, or the First Part of the Sony of the Soul, containing a Christiano-Platonic display of Life. In 1647 this was republished with additions as Philosophical Poems. His poems, collected and edited by Dr. Grosart, are included in the Chertsey Worthies Library. His "Philosopher's Devotion," beginning "Sing aloud! His praise rehearse," is given in Macdonald's England's Antiphon. His Memoirs were publishe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The holy Son of God most high
Author: Henry More
Language: English

Tune

VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

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[Das neugeborne Kindelein]

Also known as JENA, DAS NEUGEBORNE KINDELEIN was originally a chorale melody for Cyriacus Schneegass' text "Das neugeborne Kindelein." Composed by Melchior Vulpius (PHH 397) and published in his Ein Schön Geistlich Gesangbuch (Jena, 1609), the tune was introduced to English congregations primarily…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2529
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Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
TextPage Scan

Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #34

Page Scan

Songs of Praise #365

The Cambridge Hymnal #108

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2529

Exclude 3 pre-1979 instances
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