’Twas in the Winter Cold

’Twas in the win­ter cold

when earth

Was de­so­late and wild

That an­gels wel­comed at His birth

The ev­er­last­ing Child.

From realms of ev­er bright’n­ing day

And from His throne above

He came with hu­man­kind to stay

All low­li­ness and love.

Then in the man­ger the poor beast

Was pre­sent with his Lord;

Then swains and pil­grims from the East

Saw

won­dered

and ad­ored.

And I this morn would come with them

This bless­èd sight to see

And to the Babe of Beth­le­hem

Bend low the rev­er­ent knee.

But I have not

it makes me sigh

One of­fer­ing in my pow­er;

’Tis win­ter all with me

and I

Have nei­ther fruit nor flow­er.

O God

O Bro­ther

let me give

My worth­less self to Thee;

And that the years which I may live

May pure and spo­tless be.

Grant me Thy­self

O Sav­ior kind

The Spir­it un­de­filed

That I may be in heart and mind

As gen­tle as a child;

That I may tread life’s ar­du­ous ways

As Thou Thy­self hast trod

And in the might of pray­er and praise

Keep ev­er close to God.

Light of the ev­er­last­ing morn

Deep through my spir­it shine;

There let Thy pre­sence new­ly born

Make all my be­ing Thine:

There try me as the sil­ver

try

And cleanse my soul with care

Till Thou art able to des­cry

Thy fault­less im­age there.