From heaven the angel troop came near,
And to the shepherds plain appear:
A tender little child, they cry,
In a rough manger lies hard by.
In Bethlehem, David’s town of old,
As Prophet Micah has foretold;
’Tis the Lord Jesus Christ, I wis,
Who of you all the Savior is.
And ye may well break out in mirth,
That God is one with you henceforth;
For he is born your flesh and blood—
Your brother is the eternal Good.
What can death do to you, or sin?
The true God is to you come in.
Let hell and Satan raging go—
The Son of God’s your comrade now.
He will nor can from you go hence;
Set you in him your confidence.
Let many battle on you make,
Defy them—he cannot forsake.
At last you must approval win,
For you are now of God’s own kin,
For this thank God, ever and aye,
Content and patient all the day. Amen
