Good peo­ple all, this Christ­mas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In send­ing His be­lov­èd Son.
With Ma­ry ho­ly we should pray
To God with love this Christ­mas Day;
In Beth­le­hem upon the morn
There was a blest Mes­si­ah born.

The night be­fore that hap­py tide
The no­ble vir­gin and her guide
Were long time seek­ing up and down
To find a lodg­ing in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass:
From ev­ery door re­pelled, alas!
As long fore­told, their re­fuge all
Was but a hum­ble ox­en stall.

Near Beth­le­hem did shep­herds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feed­ing sheep;
To whom God’s an­gels did ap­pear
Which put the shep­herds in great fear.
Prepare and go, the an­gels said,
To Beth­le­hem, be not afraid;
For there you’ll find, this hap­py morn,
A prince­ly babe, sweet Je­sus born.

With thank­ful heart and joy­ful mind,
The shep­herds went the Babe to find,
And as God’s an­gel has fore­told,
They did our Sav­ior Christ be­hold.
Within a man­ger He was laid,
And by His side the vir­gin maid
Attending to the Lord of Life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.