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.
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 honor 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 Heav’n
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;
Where like stars His
children crowned
All in white shall wait
around.
