The Black Decree 2 Lyrics

1. Let Christians all with one accord rejoice,
And praises sing, with heart as well as voice,
To God on high, for glorious things He's done,
(To God on high, for wonders he hath done,)
In sending to us His beloved Son.
(In sending us his well beloved Son.)

2. That blessed Babe and holy Child of love
Came down from heaven that we may reign above:
The happy news was brought on angels' wings,
Of our redemption by the King of kings.

3. An earthly wonder not to be denied
Born of a Virgin mother and a bride;
Not like a prince, in worldly pomp and state,
But poor and low, to make us heavenly great.

4. The night before that happy day of grace
The Virgin mother had no resting place:
(The Virgin mother, she had no resting place:)
She and her pious Joseph were so low
They knew not whither or which way to go.
(They scarcely knew which way or where to go.)

5. For they were forced to wander up and down,
And could not find a lodging in the town;
But in an ox's stall where beasts are fed
The mother of our Lord was brought to bed.
(His mother made our Lord His lowly Bed

6. No costly silks, no robes of rich attire,
Nor gaudy show, which rich ones do admire;
But in a manger the great Lord of life
Was nourished by a mother, maid, and wife.

7. Three wise-men by a star were thither brought,
And found the bless-ed Babe they long had sought
The best of spices and rich costly things
They humbly offered to the King of kings.

8. And rather than the Lord of life betray
They worshipped Him and went another way:
Which so enraged the wicked Herod then,
A Jewish king, but very worse of men.
(The Jewish King, the very worst of men.)

9. He caused young harmless infants to be killed;
And under two years old, their blood was spilled;
Sad cries and groans were heard in every street,
With mangled bodies, bleeding hands an feet.

10. Young tender babes with limbs in pieces torn,
On soldiers' spears with spite and horrow borne:
Dear parents' tears could not their rage prevent,
Nor pity move the tyrant to repent.

11. The Black Decree went all the country round,
To kill and murder children sick and sound:
They tore young children (infants) from their mothers' breast,
Thinking to murder Christ among the rest.

12. But God above, Who knew what would be done,
Had sent to Egypt His beloved Son;
Where with His earthly parents He was fed,
Until the bloody (cruel) tyrant he was dead.