Scripture Verse

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:10–12

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns for the Na­ti­vi­ty of Our Lord (Lon­don: Will­iam Stra­han, 1745), num­ber 1.

Music: Duke Street, at­tri­but­ed to John Hat­ton, 1793 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Hat­ton (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

Ye sim­ple men of heart sin­cere,
Shepherds, who watch your flocks by night,
Start not to see an an­gel near,
Nor trem­ble at his glo­ri­ous light.

“A her­ald from the hea­ven­ly King,
I come your ev­ery fear to chase;
Good tid­ings of great joy I bring,
Great joy to all the fall­en race.

“To you is born on this glad day,
A Sav­ior by our host adored;
Our God in Beth­le­hem sur­vey,
Make haste to wor­ship Christ the Lord.

By this the Sav­ior of man­kind,
Th’in­car­nate God shall be dis­played;
The Babe ye wrapped in swathes shall find,
And humb­ly in a man­ger laid.