God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

     This carol was first published in 1827, but even then
it was introduced as "an ancient carol, sung in the streets
of London." In fact, old London had municipal watchmen
who were licensed to perform certain tasks, including the
singing of Christmas carols. This was one of their songs.

     In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer
Scrooge hears this song sung joyously in the street and
tells the singer he'll hit him with a ruler unless he stops
singing. Of course that was not the intended response to
this carol. The point is that joy reigns on Christmas Day
because of God's great gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We
can "rest merry" in the knowledge that Christ has paid
our penalty for going astray and has set us free from the
power of evil.
                        --Wm. J. Petersen & Randy Petersen

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Savior
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.

   O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
   O tidings of comfort and joy!

In Bethlehem in Jewry
This blessed babe was born,
and laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn:
The which His mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn.

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks afeeding
In tempest, storm, and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
The blessed babe to find.

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
and with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.

--Traditional English Carol (18th Century)