Christians, Awake! | John Byrom, John Wainwright | A Cappella/SATB Hymn

Lyricist: John Byrom
Composer: John Wainwright

John Byrom wrote this hymn likely between 1745 and 1750. The original manuscript bears the title "Christmas Day. For Dolly", referring to the author's daughter, although there is no evidence to support that it was written for her specifically. It was later published in the author's posthumous Poems, &c. (1773). 

The music, written by John Wainwright, was first published in the Collection of Tunes (1761) by Caleb Ashworth but paired with the paraphrase of Psalm 50 by Isaac Watts. The first hymnal that has it in combination with Byrom's text is in Wainwright's only known musical publication, assumed to have been published in 1766, called A Collection of Psalm Tunes, Anthems, Hymns, and Chants, for One, Two, Three, and Four Voices.
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~Lyrics~
1. Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Savior of the world was born;
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
Which hosts of angels chanted from above;
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God Incarnate and the Virgin’s Son.

2. To Bethlehem the happy shepherds ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man;
And found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
Her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
Amazed, the wondrous story they proclaim,
The earliest heralds of the Savior’s name.

3. O may we keep and ponder in our mind
God’s wondrous love in saving lost mankind;
Trace we the Babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
From His poor manger to His bitter cross;
Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace,
Till man’s first heav’nly state again takes place.

4. Then may we hope, the heav’nly hosts among,
To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song;
He that was born upon that joyful day
Around us all His glory shall display;
Saved by His love, incessant we shall sing
Eternal praise to heav’n’s almighty King.
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