As With Gladness, Men Of Old was written by Will­iam C. Dix in 1860.  Dix was from Bris­tol, Eng­land.  He wrote this hymn on the day of the Epi­pha­ny, while sick in bed; it was first pub­lished in his Hymns of Love and Joy. as with gladness

Most of the time it is sung to the tune of Dix, composed by Conrad Kocher in 1838 for his cantata Stimmen aus dem Reiche Gottes (Voices From The Kingdom Of God).  You may know it better as the tune to the hymn  For The Beauty Of The Earth.

Let me show you a few things about this song…..

As with Gladness Men of Old
Will­iam C. Dix

As with gladness, men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright
So, most glorious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.

1. Men of old refers to the Wise Men or Magi mentioned in the Bible as being led by a star to the place where God’s Son was. Matthew 2:2
2. When they saw the star they rejoiced. Matthew 2:10
3. The star represents the Light of the Word of God and how it leads us to God. Psalm 119:105

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom Heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

1. The Bible makes no mention of the Wise Men or Magi arriving at the manger when Jesus was born. The Magi arrived to see Jesus some time after His birth when He and His family were living in a house.
Matt. 2:9-11a
2. They fell down and worshiped Him. Matt. 2:11b
3. We too are to worship Him because He is worthy. Rev. 5:8-10

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

1. The rare gifts they offered to Jesus were Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Once again the manger is mentioned but the Wise Men didn’t meet Jesus at the manger.
Matt. 2:11c

2. Seeing Jesus brought the Wise Men much joy and today we should be filled with joy knowing that Christ has come for all. Lk. 2:10-11

3. The Wise Men brought their costliest treasures to Jesus and likewise, we should give our treasures to Him beginning with ourselves. 2 Cor. 8:5

Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

1. Because Jesus is our Savior, He can keep us on the narrow way. Matt. 7:13-14

2. He gave His life so that our souls could be ransomed. Matt. 20:28

3. One day we can be with Him and there will be no need for a star to show us where He is, for He himself will be the Light. Rev. 21:23

In the heavenly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King!

1. This last stanza talks about that future time when all God’s children will be with Him in Heaven. This is the ultimate goal of a Christian. Heb. 11:16
2. The Redeemed of God will be given light from God Himself Rev. 22:5
3. The Redeemed will sing the song of Moses to Jesus Rev. 15:3-4