Verse 1
Join all ye joyful nations
Th’ acclaiming hosts[1] of heaven!
This happy morn
A child is[2] born,
To us a Son is given:
The messenger and token
Of God’s eternal favour,
God hath sent down
To us his Son,
An universal Saviour!
Verse 2
The wonderful Messias,
The joy of every nation,
Jesus his name,
With God the same,
The Lord of all creation:
The Counsellor of sinners,
Almighty to deliver,
The Prince of Peace,
Whose love’s increase
Shall reign in man for ever.
Verse 3
Go see the King of Glory,
Discern the heavenly stranger,
So poor and mean,
His court an inn,
His cradle is a manger:
Who from his Father’s bosom
But now for us descended,
Who built the skies,
On earth he lies,
With only beasts attended.
Verse 4
Whom all the angels worship,
Lies hid in human nature;
Incarnate see
The deity,
The infinite Creator!
See the stupendous blessing
Which God to us hath[3] given!
A child of man,
In length a span,
Who fills both earth and heaven.
Verse 5
Gaze on that[4] helpless object
Of endless adoration!
Those infant-hands
Shall burst our bands,
And work out our salvation;
Strangle the crooked serpent,
Destroy his works for ever,
And open set
The heavenly gate
To every true believer.
Verse 6
Till then, thou holy Jesus,
We humbly bow before thee,
Our treasures bring
To serve our King,
And joyfully adore thee:
To thee we gladly render
Whate’er thy grace hath given,
Till thou appear
In glory here,
And take us up to heaven.
[1] Wesley changed “hosts” to “host” in 1766.
[2] Wesley changed “is” to “was” from 1774-78, but returned to “is” in following editions.
[3] Wesley changed “hath” to “has” in 1784.
[4] Wesley changed “that” to “the” in 1766-68, but returned to “that” in following editions.