Advent is a time of beginnings.
We often think of it as coming at the end of the year, but it is really the beginning of the liturgical year with all the other seasons coming after it. One thing which sets Advent and Christmas apart from the remainder of the year is the singing of Christmas carols. Perhaps I am just a child at heart, but I have been listening to Christmas music for the past month. As a result there was a scarcity of Christmas hymns and carols in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Wesley's fine text and the melody by Felix Mendelssohn have given this hymn its great popularity and its standing as a classic among Christmas songs.