Advent Devotional: December 5

Another one of today's most familiar Christmas hymns, "Angels from the Realms of Glory," was written by the Scottish poet James Montgomery on December 24, 1816. Orphaned at the age of twelve (his parents were missionaries to the West Indies), Montgomery was raised in the Moravian church. These faithful believers were followers of John Huss and were the original Protestants a century before Luther. In fact, the Lord would use the Moravians in the century before Montgomery to lead another evangelist and hymn writer, John Wesley, to salvation. They, too, were known for their evangelistic efforts, and one of their largest settlements is in Bethlehem, PA.

As an orphan, though, Montgomery struggled to survive, writing poetry to sell for a few pence on the streets of London. Eventually, providence would lead Montgomery to Sheffield, where he would become an apprentice for a local newspaper owned by an Irish activist advocating for Ireland's freedom. After being driven out of town for publishing his views, Montgomery took over the newspaper and renamed it the "Sheffield Iris."

Montgomery, sympathetic to the "Irish problem," was also arrested several times for publishing pro-independence ideas, but Montgomery's success as a businessman and personal integrity eventually made him one of the most regarded and honored men in his community. He became a supporter of the British Bible Society, and on Christmas Eve, 1816, Montgomery was inspired by the text of Luke 2 and wrote a poem to print on Christmas Day.

"Angels from the Realms of Glory" calls on all who hear the Christmas story of the newborn Christ to respond in worship of the King of Glory. In the United States, it is usually sung to the tune, "Regent Square," but in the U.K., it is sung to the French tune, "Iris" (the version linked below). It should also be noted that occasionally, Montgomery's original refrain, "Come and worship," is replaced with the refrain from the most ancient Christmas hymn sung today, "Gloria in excelsis Deo."