Come, Thou long expected Jesus

View this hymn using FlexPresent: Hymnary.org's free tool provides this hymn's music notationand lyrics synchronized with its audio

Come, Thou long expected Jesus! Born to set Thy people free

Author: Charles Wesley
Prayer Songs
Published in 740 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF
Playable presentation: Lyrics only, lyrics + music
Audio files: MIDI, Recording

Song available on My.Hymnary

Representative Text

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.

2. 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.

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Come, Thou long expected Jesus! Born to set Thy people free
Title: Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 8.7.8.7
Language: English
Notes: Spanish translation: See "Ven, Jesús muy esperado" by Lorenzo Álvarez
Copyright: Public Domain
Liturgical Use: Prayer Songs
Article: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus by Robin Knowles Wallace (from"The Hymns")

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1=2 Cor. 4:14, Rev. 3:21
st. 3-4 =Isa. 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19, Rom. 6:22

Charles Wesley (PHH 267) wrote this Advent hymn and printed it in his Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord (1744). Like so many of Wesley's texts, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" alludes to one or more Scripture passages in virtually every phrase. The double nature of Advent is reflected in this text, in which we remember Christ's first coming even while praying for his return. Stanzas 1 and 2 recall Advent prophecies in the Old Testament; stanza 3 speaks of Christ's birth and kingdom, and stanza 4 is a prayer for Christ's rule in our hearts.

Liturgical Use:
Advent; Christmas and Christmas carol/lesson worship services; worship that stresses the second coming.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

=======================

Come, Thou long expected Jesus. C. Wesley. [Christmas.] Appeared in Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord, 1744, No. x., in 2 stanzas of 8 lines. The tract in which it appeared formed the first of those called the "Festival Hymns," which were subsequently published by Lampe in 1746. It was not included in the Wesleyan Hymn Book until the revised edition of 1875, No. 688, although it was given by Whitefield in his Collection, 1753, and later editions; by Madan, in his Psalms & Hymns, 1760; by Toplady, in his Psalms & Hymns, 1776; and by others. It is found in a great number of hymnals in Great Britain and America, specially those of the Church of England, and usually without alteration, as in Hymnal Companion, No. 96. A marked departure from this rule is, "Come, O Saviour, long expected," which appeared in Hall’s Mitre, 1836, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and again in the New Mitre, 1875, in 6 stanzas, the last two stanzas being Edward Osier's doxology, "Worship, honour, glory, blessing," from the older Mitre, 1836, No. 282. Other altered forms are, "Come, Thou Saviour, long expected," in Kennedy, 1863, No. 89, "Hail, Thou long expected Jesus," in the American Protestant Episcopal Hymnal, 1871. Original text, Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 116.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

====================

Come, Thou long expected Jesus, p. 252, ii. This is rendered into Latin by H. M. Macgill, 1876, No. 17, as "Veni Jesu ter Optate."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Tune

STUTTGART

STUTTGART was included in Psalmodia Sacra (1715), one of the most significant hymnals of the early sixteenth century [sic: eighteenth century]. Christian F. Witt (b. Altenburg, Germany, e. 1660; d. Altenburg, 1716) was an editor and compiler of that collection; about 100 (of the 774) tunes in that c…

Go to tune page >


HYFRYDOL

One of the most loved Welsh tunes, HYFRYDOL was composed by Rowland Hugh Prichard (b. Graienyn, near Bala, Merionetshire, Wales, 1811; d. Holywell, Flintshire, Wales, 1887) in 1830 when he was only nineteen. It was published with about forty of his other tunes in his children's hymnal Cyfaill y Cant…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #77
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Cyber Hymnal #974
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #329
  • Full Score (XML)
The United Methodist Hymnal #196
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #153
With Heart and Voice: songs for all God's children #71
  • Full Score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 114)

A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #212

A Teaching Hymnal #10

TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #103

Ambassador Hymnal #5

Text

Ancient and Modern #30

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #140

TextAudioPage Scan

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #77

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Baptist Hymnal 2008 #176

Text

Breaking Bread (Vol. 39) #39

Text

Catholic Book of Worship III #300

TextPage Scan

Catholic Book of Worship III #306

TextPage Scan

Celebrating Grace Hymnal #83

TextPage Scan

Chalice Hymnal #125

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #6

Text

Christian Worship #322

Christmas Favorites #44

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #119

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #145

TextPage Scan

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #472

TextPage Scan

Common Praise (1998) #88

TextPage Scan

Common Praise #24

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #128a

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #128b

Page Scan

Complete Mission Praise #102

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #34

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #87

TextAudioPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Worship #254

Gather (3rd ed.) #403

TextPage Scan

Gather Comprehensive #323

Page Scan

Gather Comprehensive, Second Edition #345

TextPage Scan

Glory and Praise (3rd. ed.) #212

Text InfoTextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Glory to God #82

Text InfoTextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Glory to God #83

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #188

Hymnal for the Hours #2

Hymnal #178

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #31

Hymns and Psalms #81a

Hymns and Psalms #81b

TextPage Scan

Hymns for a Pilgrim People #89

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #52

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #472

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Promise #148

Hymns of the Saints #201

Hymns Old and New #98

TextPage Scan

Hymns to the Living God #91

Text

Journeysongs (2nd ed.) #328

TextPage Scan

Journeysongs (3rd ed.) #296

TextPage Scan

Lead Me, Guide Me (2nd ed.) #238

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Lift Up Your Hearts #56

TextPage Scan

Lutheran Service Book #338

TextAudio

Lutheran Worship #22

TextPage Scan

Moravian Book of Worship #262

Text

One in Faith #359

TextPage Scan

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism #257

Oramos Cantando = We Pray In Song #355

Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #108

Praise! Our Songs and Hymns #172

TextPage Scan

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #226

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #329

Page Scan

Rejoice Hymns #209

Text

Rejoice in the Lord #183

TextPage Scan

RitualSong (2nd ed.) #493

Text

RitualSong #496

Santo, Santo, Santo #64

TextPage Scan

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #204

Sing Glory #335

Text

Sing Joyfully #187

Text

Sing With Me #83

Singing the Faith #169a

Singing the Faith #169b

Audio

Small Church Music #279

Text

Songs for Life #122

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #89

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #90

The Baptist Hymnal #107

The Book of Common Praise of the Reformed Episcopal Church #1

Text

The Book of Praise #110

Text InfoTune InfoPage Scan

The Celebration Hymnal #244

The Christian Life Hymnal #74

The Christian Life Hymnal #75

Page Scan

The Covenant Hymnal #135

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #974

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #66

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration #124

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #291

The Liturgical Harp #11a

The New Century Hymnal #122

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #3a

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #3b

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

The Presbyterian Hymnal #1

TextPage Scan

The Presbyterian Hymnal #2

Text

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #79

TextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal #196

Page Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #167

Text

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #168

Page Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #169

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #170

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #171

The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement #172

Pages

Include 626 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us