The words beginning “If angels sung a Saviour’s birth” first appeared in 1707 in The Divine Companion, 2nd edition, by Henry Playford. I have not found the 2nd edition, but the 1722 4th edition has these words in eight stanzas, Common Meter, Hymn III, “An Hymn for Easter-Day,” on page 20. It is unclear who wrote these words.
The first stanza of hymn is popularly paired with Joseph Stephenson’s great fuging tune Milford. Many folks, used to hearing only the first stanza in The Sacred Harp 1991 Edition, think of this as an hymn for Christmas. The entire context, however, shows only the first two lines of the first stanza relate to the birth of Jesus. The rest is about his resurrection and resurrection in general.
1. If angels sung a Saviour’s birth,
On that auspicious morn,
Then let us imitate their mirth,
Now He again is born.
On that auspicious morn,
Then let us imitate their mirth,
Now He again is born.
2. He frail mortality shook off,
Puts incorruption on;
And he that late was crowned in scoff,
Now fills the eternal throne.
Puts incorruption on;
And he that late was crowned in scoff,
Now fills the eternal throne.
3. Grieve not, vain man, who mortal art,
That thou to earth must fall;
It was his portion, ’twas the part
Of him, who made us all.
That thou to earth must fall;
It was his portion, ’twas the part
Of him, who made us all.
4. Himself he humbled to the grave,
Made flesh, like us, to show,
That we as certainly shall have,
A resurrection too.
Made flesh, like us, to show,
That we as certainly shall have,
A resurrection too.
5. Let Heav’n and Earth in contract joined,
His boundless mercies sing;
Ev’n Hell does now a conq’ror find,
And death has lost his sting.
His boundless mercies sing;
Ev’n Hell does now a conq’ror find,
And death has lost his sting.
6. If when in Eden, Adam fell,
The whole creation groan’d;
The whole creation, sure should smile
Now justice is atoned.
The whole creation groan’d;
The whole creation, sure should smile
Now justice is atoned.
7. Hence all ye faithless, far away,
That this great mystery slight;
They that deny an endless day,
Will find an endless night.
That this great mystery slight;
They that deny an endless day,
Will find an endless night.
8. Beyond times short and scanty bounds
The soul shall surely live;
But when the last loud trumpet sounds,
You’ll then too late believe.
The soul shall surely live;
But when the last loud trumpet sounds,
You’ll then too late believe.
This following stanza has been added in some books, though it is not part of the original:
Then with perpetual hymns, let Christ,
Who from the dead was raised,
With Father and the Holy Ghost,
Eternally be praised.
Who from the dead was raised,
With Father and the Holy Ghost,
Eternally be praised.
Joseph Stephenson (1723-1810) was a singing master in Dorset, England. He produced a song book titled Church Harmony, Sacred to Devotion, which went through several editions. The original title of the tune was Easter Hymn, and was probably changed to Milford by American publishers.
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