Once In Royal David's City |
The Church of the Holy Nativity, Panama City, Florida |
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. |
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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 Saviour holy. |
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And thro' 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Text by Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848 "Irby" composed for this hymn by Henry Gauntlett, 1849
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