Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley (the Younger), and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Despite their closeness, Charles and his brother John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with the Church of England into which they had been ordained. Charles Wesley is chiefly remembered for the many hymns he wrote. He founded Wesley Chapel in the village of Brayton, which is just south of Selby. His house, located nearby, can still be visited today.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley Lyrics

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Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise;
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Long desired, behold Him come,
Finding here His humble home.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th' incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th' incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th' incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings,
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings,
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give us second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles Wesley's "Hark! the herald angels sing" remarkably communicate the essence of the Christian faith, particularly the birth of Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. The lyrics open with a call to attention as the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King," declaring the arrival of the long-awaited savior. The angels also proclaim "peace on earth and mercy mild," a reference to God's gracious offer of redemption to sinners. The subsequent lines call for all nations to join in the triumph of the skies, proclaiming the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.

The second stanza expounds on the glory of Christ, identifying him as the highest heaven adored and the everlasting Lord. The stanza also describes the miraculous manner of his birth through a virgin, signifying his divine nature. The third stanza reiterates the theme of Christ's divinity, describing God's son veiled in flesh, willingly becoming a man to dwell among mankind. The stanza concludes with a repetition of the angels' proclamation of "Glory to the newborn King."

The final stanza highlights Christ's redemptive work, identifying him as the heaven-born Prince of Peace and the Sun of Righteousness. The stanza also affirms Christ as the source of light, life, and healing and declares his mission to raise humankind from death and sin to a new birth. The final line of the stanza, and the song, is a reaffirmation of the angels' proclamation of "Glory to the newborn King."

Line by Line Meaning

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."
Listen! The angels are singing praises to the newly born King!

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord! Long desired, behold Him come, Finding here His humble home. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th' incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel.
Christ, who is adored by the heavens and is an eternal Lord, has finally come to dwell among us as a human being, and we recognize his divine nature within his physical body. We call him Immanuel, which means 'God with us.'

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th' incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Christ, who is adored by the heavens and is an eternal Lord, has come to earth as the offspring of a virgin. We recognize his divine nature within his physical body and call him Emmanuel, which means 'God with us.'

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th' incarnate Deity, Pleased with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Christ, who is adored by the heavens and is an eternal Lord, has come to earth as the offspring of a virgin. We recognize his divine nature within his physical body and are grateful that he has chosen to dwell among us.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings, Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.
We recognize and honor Christ, who is born from heaven as the Prince of Peace and the Sun of Righteousness. He brings light and life with him, and he has come to earth to heal and save us. He willingly humbled himself to save humanity from death and to give us a new life born from his love and grace.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings, Mild He lays His glory by, Born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth, Born to give us second birth.
We recognize and honor Christ, who is born from heaven as the Prince of Peace and the Sun of Righteousness. He brings light and life with him, and he has come to earth to heal and save us. He willingly humbled himself to save us from death and to give us a new life born from his love and grace.

Contributed by Henry P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"