It Came Upon
the Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth,
    good will to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King";
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies
    they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world:
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long,
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man,
    hears not
The love-song which they bring—
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow—
Look up! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendours fling,
And the whole world
send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

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Edward Hamilton Sears (1810-1876) penned these words. He was an American preacher who wrote this 5 stanza poem, which first appeared in the 29 December 1849 issue of the 'Christian Register', after a breakdown and reflecting also on the Mexican war from 1846 to 1848 and various other wars affecting European countries.

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Here are some scriptures which are reckoned to have inspired the poem;

Luke 2.8-14 There were...shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them...said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord...Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Gen.11.8-9 The LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name... Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon...all the earth.

Mark 13: 7-8 (NKJV) When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

Hebrews 1:6 (RSV) And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,…that he might be glorified.

2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Matthew 25: 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

Acts 2:3 There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Rev.21:1-4 (NKJV) I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."