Come, Thou long expected Jesus - Lyrics (with Infographic)
Come, Thou long expected Jesus song lyrics as below.
Words:
Charles Wesley, 1744 (Verses 1 & 4)
Mark Hunt, 1978 (Verses 2 & 3)
Music: "Hyfrydol" by R.H. Prichard [Key: Db]
Verse 1
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Verse 2
Joy to those who long to see Thee
Day-spring from on high, appear.
Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse,
Of Thy birth, we long to hear!
O'er the hills the angels singing
News, glad tidings of a birth;
"Go to Him your praises bringing
Christ the Lord has come to earth!"
Verse 3
Come to earth to taste our sadness,
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life He brings us gladness,
Our redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number,
Born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder,
Christ was born the Lord of all.
Verse 4
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Have you ever been singing a hymn in church and suddenly wondered — who wrote these words, and why? Well, I have. And "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" is the hymn that made me stop and ask exactly that.
I have sung it every Advent season for as long as I can remember. But I realized not long ago that I knew almost nothing about its story. So I did some digging. Here's what I find.
Verses 1 and 4, By Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley wrote this Advent hymn and printed it in his Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord in 1744. If you have heard of the Wesley brothers, Charles was the quieter one. His brother John was the great preacher and organizer who started little groups of Christians called societies throughout England.
Charles was a bit quieter — not quite as charismatic — but he wrote all the hymns. That little collection was so popular that it was reprinted 20 times during Wesley's own lifetime. Think about that. No printing press at the push of a button. No internet. And yet, 20 reprints.
So what inspired Charles to write it? That is where the story gets interesting.
In 1744, Charles Wesley looked at the situation of orphans in the areas around him and the class divide in Great Britain. Through this train of thought, he wrote "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" based upon Haggai 2:7. Out of that sadness, and that hope, came a hymn that has lasted more than 280 years. I think that says something.
Music "Hyfrydol", by R.H. Prichard
Now, here is something I did not know until I looked into it.
The words and the music did not come together at the same time. It is not known which tune Wesley originally intended for the hymn, which is why it was excluded from the Wesleyan Hymn Book.
As a result of its growing popularity — including in the Church of England and American hymnals — the hymn was first published in the Methodist Wesleyan Hymn Book in 1875 after having previously been excluded.
The most popular tune today is called "Hyfrydol." Welsh musician Rowland Hugh Prichard paired the lyrics with this stirring melody, which he composed before he was twenty years old for his children's songbook.
The Welsh word "Hyfrydol" means "beautiful" or "melodious" in English. The hymn is also performed to "Stuttgart," attributed to Christian Friedrich Witt, and "Cross of Jesus" by John Stainer. I had no idea the same words could sound so different depending on where you go to church.
The hymn also got a big lift from one of the most famous preachers of the 1800s. The hymn gained even broader recognition through Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon, who quoted it in a Christmas sermon in London in 1855 — when he was only 21 years old.
Spurgeon used the hymn to emphasize that Christ is uniquely born King, unlike earthly rulers who ascend to kingship over time. Spurgeon's influence helped popularize the hymn across denominations in England, securing its place as a beloved Advent carol.
If you look at the words closely, you will notice that it reads almost like a prayer. "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" has the quality of a petition — a prayer that implores Christ to be among us.
Imperative verbs are used six times in the two original stanzas: "Come, thou long-expected Jesus"; "From our fears and sins release us"; "Let us find our rest in thee"; "Now thy gracious kingdom bring"; "Rule in all our hearts alone"; "Raise us to thy glorious throne." Every line is asking Jesus to do something.
To show up. To set people free. To reign in our hearts. That urgent, hopeful tone is a big part of what has kept people singing it for so long.
The double nature of Advent is also reflected in this text — we remember Christ's first coming even while praying for His return. Wesley was not just writing a Christmas carol. He was writing something much bigger.
Extra Verses 2 and 3, By Mark E. Hunt
One more thing I found interesting. The original text by Charles Wesley has two stanzas of eight lines each, which may also be divided into four stanzas of four lines each.
And those extra middle verses that appear in many modern hymnals? They were added in the 1970s by a man in America named Mark E. Hunt. They blend in so naturally that most people never notice. I certainly did not.
Bottom Line
So this Advent season, when you sing "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," I hope you hear it with fresh ears. The days in which it was written were marked by poverty and ills, yet Charles Wesley's magnificent hymn reaches across time with a message for all.
Although we live in a different time than Charles Wesley, the longings of people's hearts are just as deep. We long for security, love, relationships, meaning. And this old hymn still speaks to every one of those longings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus"?
Charles Wesley wrote it in 1744 and published it in a small collection called Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord. Charles was the hymn-writing brother of John Wesley, the famous preacher and co-founder of the Methodist movement. Charles is believed to have written thousands of hymns during his lifetime.
Is this hymn for Advent or for Christmas?
Wesley originally wrote it for Christmas, but today it is most often sung during Advent, the weeks leading up to Christmas. The hymn looks back at Christ's first coming and also looks ahead to His return, which makes it a perfect fit for the Advent season. Many churches around the world use it to open their Advent worship services.
Why does this hymn have more than one tune?
Nobody knows for certain which tune Charles Wesley had in mind when he wrote the words. Over the years, the hymn has been paired with several different melodies. The most popular today are "Hyfrydol", a Welsh tune meaning "beautiful", and "Stuttgart." In the United Kingdom, many churches also sing it to a tune called "Cross of Jesus" by John Stainer.
