O God, Today We May Forget

O God

to­day we may for­get

How aw­ful and how great art Thou

The ter­rors that our sins have set

Around Thy throne

about Thy brow;

Thy will

un­search­able to man

Thy pow­er that hath en­com­passed all—

That whirled the spheres

ere time be­gan

And marked re­bel­lious an­gels’ fall.

O Je­sus

now we can­not weep;

Thy cross trans­fig­ured seems to rise.

Celestial ar­mies round it keep

Eternal vi­gil in the skies.

We can­not feel Thy suf­fer­ing

Nor see Thy co­ro­net of thorn;

We on­ly hear the ser­aphs sing

That Christ

the Prince of Peace

is born.

O Ho­ly Ghost

our Fa­ther’s gift

Suffuse our in­most be­ings

till

Immortal joy our spir­its lift

And holds them cap­tive to Thy will.

Today Thou dost not come to chide

Or bring our guilt be­fore Thy face;

But

pure and clean

we may ab­ide

In Thine own sec­ret dwell­ing place.

A lit­tle child to us is giv’n

A ten­der ha­lo on His head

His smile hath caught the light of Heav­en

And hu­man woe is com­fort­ed!

He sleeps in ev­ery strick­en breast

He gazes in­to wea­ry eyes.

And lo! a bless­èd peace and rest

Steals on our hearts from para­dise.

Ah

soul of mine

canst thou with­stand

The pre­sence of that Child di­vine

Or thrust aside the lit­tle hand

He lays so trust­ing­ly in thine?

Oh! join the world’s great hymn of love

That nev­er end­ing

rap­tur­ous lay!

While cher­ub­im and saints ab­ove

Adore the Babe of Christ­mas day.