The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

All You That Are To Mirth Inclind

Roxburghe 3.288-289

Sinners Redemption:
Wherein is discovered the Nativity of our blessed
Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST; together with his Life on
Earth, and Death upon the Cross for lost Mankind.

Words: English Traditional
See: All You That Are To Mirth Inclined - Notes

To the Tune of, My bleeding Heart.

Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed in this present Year.

Date Published: 1730-1769 ?

Source: English Broadside Ballad Archive

ALL you that are to Mirth inclind
Consider well and bear in Mind,
What our great God for us hath done,
In sending his beloved Son.

Let all our Songs and Praises be,
Unto his heavenly Majesty;
And evermore amongst our Mirth,
Remember Christ and his blessd Birth.

The Five and Twentieth of December,
Good Cause have we for to remember,
In Bethlehem, upon that Morn,
There was our blessd Messias born.

The Night before that hapy Tide,
The spotless Virgin and her Guide,
Were long Time seeking up and down,
To find them Lodging in the Town.

And mark how all Things came to pass,
The Inn and Lodging so filld was,
That they could have no Room at all,
But a poor hungry Oxs Stall.

This Night the Virgin Mary mild,
Was safe delivered of a Child,
According high Heavens Decree,
Mans sweet Salvation for to be.

Near Bethlehem did Shepherds keep
Their Herds and Flocks of feeding Sheep;
To whom Gods Angels did appear,
Which put the Shepherds in great Fear.

Prepare and go, the Angel said,
To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
There shall you see this blessed Morn,
The Princely Babe, JESUS born.

With thankful Hearts and joyful Minds,
The Shepherds went this babe to find:
And as the heavenly Angel told,
They did our Saviour Christ behold.

Within a Manger he was laid,
The Virgin Mary by him stayd,
Attending on the Lord of Life,
Being both Mother, Maid and Wife.

Three Eastern Wisemen from afar,
Directed by a glorious Star,
Came boldly on, and made no Stay,
Until they came where JESUS lay.

And being come into the Place,
Where the blessed Messias was
They humbly laid before his Feet,
Their Gifts of Gold and Odours sweet.

See how the Lord of Heaven and Earth
Shewd himself lowly in his Birth,
A sweet Example for Mankind,
To learn to bear in humble Mind.

No costly Robes nor rich Attire,
Did JESUS CHRIST our Lord desire;
No Musick, nor sweet Harmony;
Till glorious Angels from on High,

Did in melodious Manner sing,
Praises unto our heavenly King,
All Honour, Glory, Might and Power,
And unto CHRIST, our Saviour.

If Choirs of Angels did rejoice,
Well may Mankind with heart and voice,
Sing Praises to the God of Heaven,
He unto us a Son hath given.

Moreover, let every one,
Call unto Mind, and think upon,
His righteous Life, and how he dyd,
To have poor Sinners justifyd.

Suppose, O Man! that thou shouldst lie
In prison strong, condemnd to die,
And had no friend upon the Earth,
Could ransom thee from cruel Death.

Except you could some Person find
That for your Sake should be so kind
His own Hearts Blood for to dispence,
And loose his Life in your Defence.

Such was the Love of Christ, when we
Were lost to Hell perpetually;
To save us from the Gulph of Wo,
Himself much Pain did undergo.

Whilst in this World he did remain,
He neer did spend one Hour in vain:
In Fasting, and in Prayer Divine,
He daily spent away the Time.

He in the Temple daily taught,
And many Wonders strange he wrought
He gave the Blind their perfect Sight,
And made the Lame to walk upright.

He curd the Lepers of their Evils,
And by his Power he cast out Devils:
He raised Lazarus from the Grave,
And to Sick their Health he gave.

But yet for all these Wonders wrought,
The Jews his dire Distruction sought;
The Traytor Judas was the Man,
That with a kiss betrayd him then.

Then he was led to Justice Hall,
Like one despised among them all,
And had the Sentence given that he
Should suffer death upon a Tree.

Unto the Execution-place,
They brought him on with much Disgrace
With vile reproachful taunts and Scorns,
They crownd him with a wreath of thorns.

Then to the Cross through Hand and Feet
They nailed our blessd Redeemer sweet;
And further to augment his Smart,
With bloody Spear they piercd his Heart.

Thus have you seen and heard aright,
The Love of Christ the Lord of might,
And how he shed his precious Blood,
Only to do us Sinners good.

rox_3_288-289_2448x2448.jpg (1694362 bytes)

Editor's Note:

This appears to be the most recent Broadside that has been discovered, published up to 100 years after the earliest ballad (Roxburghe 1.374, 1634). The spelling is much closer to modern standards. It has a relatively large number of changes, although few by way of comparison to other carols that have been amended by assorted printers and editors.

This version has 28 verses.

Another carol on this site was printed as a Broadside by a printer located at Newcastle upon Tyne. His name was John White, and between 1725 and 1769, he published a Broadside, You Mortals All Of High and Low Degree, also published with the title "Christ's Love to Penitent Sinners." This ballad was preserved in the Roxburghe collection, Roxburghe 3.784-785 (English Broadside Ballad Archive, EBBA ID 31487).

It is worth noting that this carol was published between 1730 and 1769, roughly the same time frame as "You Mortals All," and that this carol was also preserved in the Roxburghe collection, Roxburghe 3.288-289.

Editor's Note: There are a number of carols on this website with similar titles or lyrical themes, and some of which are derived from a single source. See: All You That Are To Mirth Inclined - Notes.

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