First published by James Montgomery in his newspaper The Iris on December 24, 1816, under the title "Nativity," this five-stanza Christmas hymn became one of his most widely celebrated works. After appearing in Thomas Cotterill's Selection (1819), Montgomery revised three lines and published it under the title "Good tidings of great joy to all people" in The Christian Psalmist (1825, No. 487). This revised text was reaffirmed in his Original Hymns (1853) as the authorized text. Many editors routinely altered or replaced the final stanza ("Sinners, wrung with true repentance") with alternative doxologies, such as those featured in Isaac Gregory Smith's Hymn Book (1855) or the Salisbury Hymn Book (1857).
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According To Thy Gracious Word
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In the Hour of Trial
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Come, let us sing the song of songs
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At Home In Heaven
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Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
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