O Blessèd Jesus! This

O bless­èd Je­sus! This

Thy lowly man­ger is

The para­dise where oft my soul would feed:

Here is the place

my Lord

Where lies th’eter­nal Word

Clothed with our flesh

made like to us in­deed.

For He whose migh­ty sway

The winds and seas ob­ey

Submits to serve

and stoops to those who sin;

The glo­ri­ous Son of God

Doth bear the mor­tal load

Of earth and dust

like us and all our kin.

For thus

O God su­preme

Wilt Thou our flesh re­deem

And rise it to Thy throne o’er ev­ery height:

Eternal Strength

here Thou

To bro­ther­hood dost bow

With tran­si­ent things that pass like mists of night.

Thy glo­ry and Thy joy

All woe and grief de­stroy;

Thou

heav’n­ly Trea­sure

dost all wealth re­store!

Thou deep and liv­ing Well!

Thou great Im­ma­nu­el

Dost con­quer sin and death for ev­er­more!

Then come

who­e’er thou art

O poor des­pond­ing heart

Take cour­age now

let this thy fears dis­pel

That since His Son most dear

Thy God hath giv’n thee here

It can­not be but God doth love thee well.

How oft­en dost thou think

That thou must sure­ly sink

That hope and com­fort are no more for thee;

Come hi­ther then and gaze

Upon this In­fant’s face

And here the love of God in­car­nate see.

Ah now the bless­èd door

Stands op­en ev­er­more

To all the joys of this world and the next:

This Babe will be our friend

And quick­ly make an end

Of all that faith­ful hearts long time hath vexed.

Then

earth

we care no more

To seek thy rich­est store

If but this trea­sure will be still our own;

And he who holds it fast

Till all this life is past

Our Lord will crown with joy be­fore His throne.