Lo! he comes, an infant stranger

Lo! he comes, an infant stranger, of a lowly mother born,
Swathed and cradled in a manger, of his pristine glory shorn!
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise the incarnate Word of God!

Lo! he comes, by man unfriended, fain with stable-beast to rest;
Shepherds, who their night-fold tended, hailed alone the new-born guest.
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise ye Jesse's tender rod!

Lo! he comes; but who the weakness of his coming may declare,
When, with more than human meekness, more than human woes he bare?
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise him, emptied of his might!

Lo! he comes, around him pouring all the armies of the sky;
Cherub-, seraph-host, adoring, swell his state and loudly cry:
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise ye him, the living Light!

Words by Richard Mant (1776-1848), in imitation of Charles Wesley (1707-88) 's 'Lo, he comes, with clouds descending', in turn, an imitation of John Cennick (1718-55) 's 'Lo, he cometh; countless trumpets'.
Music ('Helmsley') by Martin Madan (1726-90), based on a tune which Thomas Olivers (1725-99) is said to have heard 'whistled in the street'; arranged by Paul McDowell © 2002.

Arrangement of music may not be reproduced without permission from the copyright owner.