Words: , in Mac­mil­lan’s Mag­a­zine, De­cem­ber 1872, ac­com­pa­nied by this note:

Hymn for Ad­vent. The ac­com­pa­ny­ing hymn is of­fered as a se­quel to the two which have al­rea­dy ap­peared in this Mag­a­zine, Ap­ril 1870 [in­cor­rect; was June 1862], on the Ascen­sion, and the Trans­fig­ur­a­tion [Ap­ril 1870]. The first four stan­zas run par­al­lel to the Gos­pels of the four Sun­days in Ad­vent, and the two last on the Gos­pels and Epis­tles for Christ­mas.

Music: Jor­dan, , 1872.


The Lord is come! On Syrian soil,
The child of poverty and toil;
The Man of Sorrows, born to know
Each varying shade of human woe:
His joy, His glory, to fulfill,
In earth and Heav’n, His Father’s will;
On lonely mount, by festive board,
On bitter cross, despised, adored.

The Lord is come! In Him we trace
The fullness of God’s truth and grace;
Throughout those words and acts divine
Gleams of th’eternal splendor shine;
And from His inmost Spirit flow,
As from a height of sunlit snow,
The rivers of perennial life,
To heal and sweeten nature’s strife.

The Lord is come! In every heart
Where truth and mercy claim apart;
In every land where right is might,
And deeds of darkness shun the light;
In every church where faith and love
Lift earthward thoughts to things above;
In every holy, happy home,
We bless Thee, Lord, that Thou hast come.