Ye simple men of heart sincere

Verse 1
Ye simple men of heart sincere,
Shepherds who watch your flocks by night,
Start not to see an angel near,
Nor tremble at this[1] glorious light.

Verse 2
An 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!

Verse 3
To you is born on this glad day,
A Saviour by our host ador’d,
Our God in Bethlehem survey,
Make haste to worship Christ the Lord.

Verse 4
By this the[2] Saviour of mankind,
Th’ incarnate God shall be display’d,
The babe ye wrapp’d in swaths[3] shall find,
And humbly in a manger laid.

[1] Wesley changed “this” to “his” in 1762.
[2] Two editions omit “the.”
[3] Wesley changed “swaths” to “swathes” in 1772.

Hymnal/Album: Introduced in Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord, published by Charles Wesley (1745).Published in The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, Collected and Arranged by G. Osborn, Vol. 4 (London: Wesleyan-Methodist Conference Office, 1869), page 106.
Publishing: Public Domain