10 SING a joyous carol
Unto the holy Child,
And praise with gladsome voices
His Mother undefiled:
Our infant voices greeting
Shall hail our infant King;
And our sweet Lady listens
When infant voices sing.
2 Who is there meekly lying
In yonder stable poor?
Dear children, it is Jesus;
He bids you now adore.
Who is there kneeling by Him
In virgin beauty fair?
It is our mother Mary;
She bids you all draw near.
3 Who is there near the cradle,
That guards the holy Child?
It is our father Joseph,
Chaste spouse of Mary mild,
Dear children, O, how joyful
With them in heaven to be!
God grant that none be missing
From that festivity.
168. I love those precious Christmas words.
1 I LOVE those precious Christmas words,
That come but once a year;
They fall, at midnight's silent hour,
Like music on mine ear:
The heav'nly choirs who fill'd the air
With praises from above,
All glory be to God on high
And peace to men of love!
2 Then come, ye children, haste with me,
Behold this gracious sight,
The world's Creator from His throne
Descending in the night;
Not arm'd with terrors, nor in robes
Of majesty array'd,
But meekly wrapt in swaddling-clothes.
And in a manger laid.
I love those precious Christmas words (continued).
3 Our God, whom heaven and earth obey,
Was poorer far than we;
Shall poverty, so dear to Him,
Seem grief to you or me?
Then let us run with cheerful hearts
Our Heaven-appointed race;
And He, who once was poor for us,
Shall make us rich in grace.
1 AT last Thou art come, little Saviour,
And Thine angels fill midnight with song;
Thou art come to us, gentle Creator,
Whom Thy creatures have sigh'd for so long
All hail, eternal Child,
Dear Mary's little Flower,
Blooming in earthly bower!
Sweet Babe of Bethlehem ;
Hail, Mary's Little one!
Hail, God's eternal Son !
Sweet Babe of Bethlehem.
2 Thou art come to Thy beautiful Mother;
She hath look'd on Thy marvellous face;
Thou art come to us, Maker of Mary,
And she was Thy channel of grace.
All hail, eternal Child, &c.
3 Thou hast brought with Thee plentiful pardon,
And our souls overflow with delight;
Our hearts are half broken, dear Jesus,
With the joy of this wonderful night.
All hail, eternal Child, &c.
4 Thou wilt stay with us, Master and Maker,
Thou wilt stay with us now evermore:
We will play with Thee, beautiful Brother,
On eternity's jubilant shore.
All hail, eternal Child, &c.
1 DEAR Little One, how sweet 3 When Joseph takes Thee in his
Thine eyes how bright they
shine, So bright they almost seem to speak
When Mary's look meets Thine!
How faint and feeble is Thy cry,
Like plaint of harmless dove,
When Thou dost murmur in Thy
sleep
Of sorrow and of love!
2 When Mary bids Thee sleep
Thou sleep'st,
Thou wakest when she calls;
Thou art content upon her lap,
Or in the rugged stalls.
Simplest of Babes, with what a
grace
Thou doet Thy Mother's will;
Thine infant fashions well betray
The Godhead's hidden skill.
And smooths Thy little cheek,
Thou lookest up into His face
So helpless and so meek.
Yes, Thou art what Thou seem'st
to be,
A thing of smiles and tears; Yet Thou art God, and heaven and earth
Adore Thee with their fears.
4 Yes, dearest Babe, those tiny
hands,
That play with Mary's hair,
The weight of all the mighty world
This very moment bear.
Art Thou, weak Babe, my very
God?
O, I must love Thee then,
Love Thee, and yearn to spread
Thy love
Among forgetful men.
171. 0, how I love Thee, Lord of heaven above!
1 O, How I love Thee, Lord of heaven above!
Too well hast Thou deserved to gain my love;
Sweet Jesus, I would die for love of Thee,
For Thou didst not disdain to die for me.
2 I leave thee, faithless world; farewell, depart;
This lovely Babe has loved and won my heart,
I love Thee, loving God, who from above
Didst come on earth, a Babe, to gain my love.
3 Thou tremblest, darling Child, and yet I see
Thy Heart is all on fire with love for me:
Love makes Thee thus a child, my Saviour dear
Love only brought Thee down to suffer here.
4 Love conquer'd Thee, great God; love tied Thy hands,
A captive here for me, in swathing bands;
And love, strong love, awaits Thy latest breath,
To make Thee die for me a cruel death.
10 KING of heaven, from starry throne descending,
Thou takest refuge in that wretched cave;
O God of bliss, I see Thee cold and trembling;
What pain it cost Thee fallen man to save!
2 Thou, of a thousand worlds the great Creator,
Dost now the pain of cold and want endure;
Thy poverty but makes Thee more endearing,
For well I know 'tis love has made Thee poor.
3 I see Thee leave Thy heavenly Father's bosom ; But whither has Thy love transported Thee? Upon a little straw I see Thee lying;
Why suffer thus? "Tis all for love of me.
4 But if it is Thy will for me to suffer,
And by these sufferings my heart to move
Wherefore, my Jesus, do I see Thee weeping?
'Tis not for pain Thou weepest, but for love.
5 Thou weepest thus to see me so ungrateful;
My sins have pierced Thee to the very core; once despised Thy love, but now I love Thee,
I love but Thee; then, Jesus, weep no more.
6 Thou sleepest, Lord, but Thy Heart ever watches,
No slumber can a Heart so loving take;
But tell me, darling Babe, of what Thou thinkest.
"I think," He says, 66
of dying for thy sake."
7 Is it for me that Thou dost think of dying?
What, then, O Jesus, can I love but Thee!
Mary, my hope! if I love Him too little,
Be not indignant; love Him thou for me.
[The following chorus may be sung after each verse:]
Sweet Infant Jesus,
Infant divine,
Make me, oh, make me,
For ever be Thine!
The Patronage of St. Joseph.
1 DEAR husband of Mary, dear nurse of her Child,
Life's ways are full weary, the desert is wild;
Bleak sands are all round us, no home can we see;
Sweet spouse of our Lady, we lean upon thee.
2 For thou to the pilgrim art father and guide,
And Jesus and Mary felt safe by thy side;
Ah, blessed Saint Joseph, how safe should I be,
Sweet spouse of our Lady, if thou wert with me!
3 O blessed Saint Joseph, how great was thy worth,
The one chosen shadow of God upon earth!
The father of Jesus,-ah, then, wilt thou be,
Sweet spouse of our Lady, a father to me.
4 When the treasures of God were unsheltered on earth, Safe keeping was found for them both in thy worth; O father of Jesus, be father to me,
Sweet spouse of our Lady, and I will love thee.
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