Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded,

For with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth,

Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,

As of old on earth He stood,

Lord of lords, in human vesture,

In the body and the blood,

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way,

As the Light of light descendeth

From the realms of endless day,

That the powers of hell may vanish

As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph,

Cherubim, with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the presence,

As with ceaseless voice they cry,

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Alleluia, Lord most high!

LITURGY OF ST. JAMES

Translated by Gerard Moultrie (1829–1885)

IS THIS HYMN about Jesus’ first coming or His second? Perhaps both. The first line seems to come from Zechariah 2:13, “Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.” As the Lord comes to be with us on earth, we respond with fear and trembling. Even so, He comes with “blessing in His hand.”

It is only right that angels attend Him. They are the bringers of news, and this is news indeed. They are heralds of judgment, and here He acts to judge the earth. Angels are also eternal worshipers, and we can all join them in paying homage to the King of kings.

This hymn may go back to the fifth-century Eastern church and is still used frequently in Orthodox churches.

The Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John 1:14