Good People All, This Christmas Time

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.