(From the Original)
“Tell me the old, old story,
Of unseen things above;
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.”
You asked me for “the story
Of unseen things above;
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love”?
Once, in a pleasant garden,
God placed a happy pair;
And all within was peaceful,
And all around was fair.
But O! they disobeyed Him!
The one thing He denied
They longed for, took, and tasted;
They ate it, and—they died!
Yet, in His love and pity,
At once the Lord declared
How man, though lost and ruined,
Might after all be spared!
Hundreds of years were over;
Adam and Eve had died—
The following generation,
And many more beside.
At last, some shepherds watching
Beside their flocks, at night,
Were startled in the darkness
By strange and heavenly light.
One of the holy angels
Had come from heaven above,
To tell the true, true story
Of Jesus and His love.
He came to bring “glad tidings:”
“You need not, must not, fear;
For Christ, your newborn Saviour,
Lies in the village near.”
And many other angels
Took up the story then—
“To God on High be Glory,
Good will and peace to men.”
And was it true—that story?
They went at once to see,
And found Him in a manger,
And knew that it was He.
He whom the Father promised,
So many ages past,
Had come to save poor sinners;
Yes, He had come at last!
He lived a life most holy:
His every thought was love,
And every action showed it,
To man, and God above.
He did kind things so kindly:
It seemed His heart’s delight
To make poor people happy,
From morning until night.
This gentle, holy Jesus,
Without a spot or stain,
By wicked hands was taken
And crucified and slain!
For our sins He suffered;
For our sins He died;
And “not for ours only,”
But “all the world” beside.
And now the work is “finished,”
The sinner’s debt is paid,
Because on “Christ the Righteous”
The sin of all was laid.
O wonderful redemption!
God’s remedy for sin:
The door of heaven is open,
And you may enter in.
For God released our “Surety,”
To show the work was done;
And Jesus’ resurrection
Declared the victory won!
And now He has ascended,
And sits upon the throne,
“To be a Prince and Saviour,”
And claim us for His own.
But when He left His people,
He promised them to send
“The Comforter,” to teach them,
And guide them to the end.
And that same Holy Spirit
Is with us to this day,
And ready now to teach us
The “new and living way.”
This is “the old, old story:”
Say, do you take it in—
This wonderful redemption,
God’s, remedy for sin?
Then take this “great salvation;”
For Jesus loves to give!
Believe! and you receive it!
Believe! and you shall live!
And if this simple message
Has now brought peace to you,
Make known “the old, old story,”
For others need it too.