Menschen, die ihr wart verloren

It was originally written by the Catholic priest Christoph Bernhard Verspoell, both the text in ten stanzas and the melodyⓘ.

The first stanza addresses humans who were lost, telling them to live up and be joyful, because God became equal to men ("den Menschen gleich").

Seht, der kann sich selbst nicht regen, durch den alles ist und war.

Lasst uns vor ihm niederfallen … O ye men, once in perdition, recreated rise, rejoice!

Heinrich Fidelis Müller [de] composed a different melody when he included Verspoell's text in his Christmas oratorio Weihnachtsoratorium, Op.