All You That Are To Mirth Inclind

For Christmas

A Broadside from the Roxburghe Collection, 1.374-375

The Sinners Redemption.
Wherein is described the blessed Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with his life on earth, and his precious death on the Crosse for Mankind.

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

To the tune of, The bleeding heart. Or, In Creet, etc.

Printer: Not stated, ca. 1634.

Source: English Broadside Ballad Archive, EBBA ID 30252

All you that are to mirth inclind,
Consider well, and beare in mind,
What our good God hath for us done,
In sending his beloved Son,
     For to redeeme our soules from thrall,
     This was the Saviour of us all.

Let all our songs of praises be
Unto his heavenly Majesty,
And evermore amongst your mirth,
Remember Christ our Saviours birth

The five and twentieth of December,
Good cause have we for to remember,
In Bethelem upon that morne,
There was our blest Messias borne.

The night before that happy tide,
The spotlesse Virgin and her Guide,
Went long time seeking up and downe
To find their lodging in the towne.

But mark how all things came to passe
The Inns and lodgings so filld was,
That they could have no roome at all,
But in a silly Oxe his stall.

This night the Virgin Mary mild,
Was safe delivered of a Child,
According unto heavens decree,
Mans sweet salvation for to be.

Neer Bethelem did Shepheards keepe,
Their herds and flocks of feeding sheep
To them Gods Angels did appeare,
Which put the shepheards in great fear

Prepare and goe the Angel said,
To Bethelem, be not afraid,
There shall you find this blessed morne
The Princely Babe sweet Jesus born.

With thankfull heart and joyful mind,
The shepheards went the Babe to find,
And as the heavenly Angel told,
They did our Saviour Christ behold.

Within a manger was he laid,
The Virgin Mary by him staid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Being both Mother, Maid, and Wife.

Three Easterne Wise men from afar,
Directed by a glorious star,
Came boldly on and made no stay,
Untill they came where Jesus lay.

And being come into the place,
Whereas the blest Messias was,
They humbly laid before his feet,
Their gifts of gold and odours sweet

See how the Lord of heaven and earth
Shewd himselfe lowly in his birth
A sweet example for Mankind
To learn to beare an humble mind.



The second part, To the same tune.

NO costly robes nor rich attire,
Did Jesus Christ our Lord desire,
No musick nor sweet harmony,
Till glorious Angels from on hye,

Did in melodious manner sing
Praises unto our heavenly King,
All Honor, Glory, Might and Power,
Be unto Christ for evermore.

If quiers of Angels did rejoyce,
Well may Mankind with heart & voice
Sing praises to the God of Heaven,
That unto us his Son hath given.

Moreover let us every one,
Call unto mind and think upon
His righteous life, and how hee dyd
To have poore sinners justifid.

Suppose O man that thou shouldst lie
In prison strong condemnd to die,
And that no friend upon the earth,
Could ransome thee from cruel death:

Except thou canst some partie find,
That for thy sake will be so kind,
His owne hearts bloud for to dispense,
And lose his life in thy defence:

Such was the love of Christ when we
Were lost to hell perpetually,
To save us from the gulfe of woe,
Himselfe much paines did undergoe.

While in this world he did remaine,
He never spent an houre in vaine,
In fasting and in prayer divine,
He daily spent away his time.

He in their Temples daily taught,
And many wonders strange he wrought:
He gave the blind their perfect sight,
And made the lame to goe upright.

He curd the Lepers of their evills,
And by his power he cast out devils,
He raised Lazarus from the grave,
And to the sick their health he gave.

But yet for all these wonders wrought:
The Jews his dear destruction sought
The traytor Judas was the man,
hat with a kisse betrayd him than.

Then was he led to judgment hall,
Like one despisd amongst them all,
And had the sentence given, that he
Should suffer death upon a tree.

Unto his execution place,
They brought him on with much disgrace,
With vile reproachfull taunts & scorns
They crownd him with a wreath of thorns.

Then to the crosse through hands & feet,
They nayld our blest Redeemer sweet,
And further to augment his smart.
With bloody spear they piercd his heart

Thus have you seene and heard aright,
The love of Christ, the Lord of Might,
And how he shed his preciorus bloud,
Only to doe us sinners good:
     And to redeeme our soules from thrall,
     This was the Saviour of us all.

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Editor's Note: this is the earliest version that I've found, and differs from other Broadsides and other versions primarily with the addition of a chorus that is added to the first and last stanzas. It's graphics are unique to this version (the other four "Sinner's Redemption" Broadsides all have the same graphic). And compared to other versions, it has the most archaic language. There are 28 verses in all, the same number as the oldest Broadside that I've found so far, All You That Are To Mirth Inclind - Roxburghe 3.288.

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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