December 30 

As with Gladness Men of Old 

TEXT: William Chatterton Dix

b. June 14, 1837, Bristol, England

d. September 9, 1898, Cheddar, Somerset, England

William Dix lived in England during the nineteenth century when romantic poetry was at its height. His father, a surgeon, loved poetry, especially that of Thomas Chatterton. He passed on to his son both the poet’s name and his love of poetry. Although insurance was his business, William’s passion was poetry, particularly as it was used in worship. He wrote over forty hymns and poems. It was said of him, “Few modern writers have shown so single a gift as his for the difficult art of hymn-writing.”⁴³

In his twenties, Dix acquired a serious and mysterious illness that kept him in bed for months. He became severely depressed, but it was during this time that he explored the Scriptures and wrote many of his hymns. On Epiphany Day, January 6, 1865, as Dix reflected upon the Scripture he would have read at church had he not been ill (Matt. 2:1–12), he began to write a poem. He titled it “The Manger Throne,” which later became “As with Gladness Men of Old.” “What Child Is This?” is another carol derived from the same poem. Dix refers to the “men of old” in the story rather than “kings” or “magi” because so much of the information about them comes from tradition and myth rather than the testimony of the Scripture.

TUNE: Conrad Kocher

b. December 16, 1786, Württemberg, Germany

d. March 12, 1872, Stuttgart, Germany

The tune carries the name of the author, DIX, but it was first written by a German composer, Conrad Kocher. An Englishman named William Henry Monk adapted it for this carol. We also sing “For the Beauty of the Earth” to the same melody.

As you sing this hymn … imagine these serious strangers from the East expressing such gladness and joy at their discovery. Matthew describes it as “exceeding great joy.” The wise men had studied astronomy and saw the star that God had used to mark the place where Jesus was born. They traveled for months, possibly years, to find Him. Perhaps they had staked reputations and fortune on this venture. God rewarded their faith and used it to announce something profound. Just as these men were foreigners to ancient Israel, so were the Gentiles. Up to this point in history, the Messiah was for the nation of Israel, God’s people. The lesson of Epiphany is that God’s Son and salvation through Him are for the entire world, not just the Jews. The wise men were the first Gentiles to understand this gift to all.

Dix’s father told his son that he liked the way in which the conclusion of each stanza tells the singer how to respond to the birth of Jesus. Too often the carols simply leave us with a beautiful picture. As you sing, you are asking God to help you be like those early seekers, seeking, kneeling, offering gifts, praising for all eternity your heavenly King.