349. Once in royal David's city
8.7.8.7.7.7
Irby:
Henry J. Gauntlett, 1858
Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848
Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby, In a manger for his bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child. | 317 He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable, And his cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy. | And, through all his wondrous childhood, He would honour and obey, Love, and watch the lowly maiden In whose gentle arms he lay; Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as he. | For he is our childhood's pattern; Day by day like us he grew; He was little, weak, and helpless, Tears and smiles like us he knew, And he feeleth for our sadness, And he shareth in our gladness. | And our eyes at last shall see him, Through his own redeeming love; For that child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above; And he leads his children on To the place where he is gone. | Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see him; but in heaven, Set at God's right hand on high; When like stars his children crowned, All in white shall wait around. | |