Great King! From Heav’n’s High Throne

Great King! from Heav’n’s

High throne des­cend­ing low

In Beth­le­hem’s sta­ble

Born in cold and woe

Thou shiv­er­est in

A man­ger

Babe di­vine

Much hast Thou borne

For sins: how much for mine!

The world’s cre­at­or

Thou

our God adored

Thou suf­fer­est cold and want

O hum­bled Lord!

Dear chos­en Child!

When love trans­forms Thee so

For Thee my heart

The more with love shall glow.

In joy re­pos­ing

On Thy Fa­ther’s breast

How can a couch of straw

Afford Thee rest?

Sweet love

thus pained

Inflame my froz­en heart

Jesus! to me

Thy pur­est love im­part.

If thus to suf­fer

Was Thy gra­cious will

Yet

lov­ing Sav­ior!

Let me ask Thee still

What could Thy bliss­ful

Soul to suf­fer­ing move?

Thou weep­est—

Not for grief—Ah no! for love.

Thou griev­est

After all Thy love

to see

Thyself so lit­tle loved

O God

by me;

Yet if the past

So lit­tle love has shown

I love Thee now

O Je­sus

Thee alone.

Thou sleepest

Holy In­fant! but Thou art

For us still wake­ful

In Thy ten­der heart:

Tell me

O beau­te­ous Lamb!

Say what may be

Thy thoughts?—I hear thee lisp:

To die for thee.

Thou dwell­est

On Thy death for me

with joy;

Who then

save Thee

Shall all my thoughts em­ploy?

Mary

my hope!

If less I love your Son

O love Him you for me

And all is done.