Christians, awake, salute the happy morn

[2] The omission of some of the lines and re-arrangement of the remainder into singable verses appeared in combination with Wainwright's music in a 1766 publication,[6] although the first printing for liturgical usage was Thomas Cotterill's Selection of Psalms and Hymns (1819, 8th ed.

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn, whereon the Saviour 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.

He spake; and straightway the celestial choir in hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire; the praises of redeeming love they sang, and heaven's whole orb with alleluias rang: God's highest glory was their anthem still, peace upon earth, and unto men good will.

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 heavenly state again takes place.

The melody was again reprinted by another Lancashire churchman, Ralph Harrison, in his Sacred Harmony (1784):[7] the popularity of this publication made the tune widely known, including across the Atlantic, although it is unlikely it was much sung by American congregations at the time.