HROUGH the night thy Angels kept
Watch beside me while I slept;
Now the dark has passed away,
Thank thee, Lord, for this new day.
2 North and south and east and west
May thy holy name be blest;
Everywhere beneath the sun,
As in heaven, thy will be done.
3. Give me food that I may live;
Every naughtiness forgive;
Keep all evil things away
From thy little child this day.
Mrs. C. F. Alexander, 1823-95.
E are but little children poor,
And born in very low estate;
What can we do for Jesu's sake,
Who is so high and good and great?
2* We know the Holy Innocents
Laid down for him their infant life,
And Martyrs brave and patient Saints
Have stood for him in fire and strife.
3* We wear the Cross they wore of old,
Our lips have learned like vows to make;
We need not die, we cannot fight,-
What may we do for Jesu's sake?
4 O, day by day, each Christian child,
Has much to do, without, within,-
A death to die for Jesu's sake,
A weary war to wage with sin.
5 When deep within our swelling hearts
The thoughts of pride and anger rise,
When bitter words are on our tongues,
And tears of passion in our eyes,—
6 Then we may stay the angry blow, Then we may check the hasty word, Give gentle answers back again,
And fight a battle for our Lord.
7. There's not a child so small and weak
But has his little cross to take,
His little work of love and praise
That he may do for Jesu's sake!
WHEN Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Fair peace
on earth to bring,
In lowly state of love he came
To be the children's King.
2 A mother's heart was there his throne,
His orb a maiden's breast,
Whereby he made through love alone
His kingdom manifest.
3 And round him, then, a holy band
Of children blest was born,
Fair guardians of his throne to stand
Attendant night and morn.
4 And unto them this grace was given
A Saviour's name to own,
And die for him who out of heaven
Had found on earth a throne.
5 O blessed babes of Bethlehem,
Who died to save our King,
Ye share the Martyrs' diadem,
And in their anthem sing!
6 Your lips, on earth that never spake,
Now sound the eternal word;
And in the courts of love ye make
Your children's voices heard.
7. Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Child,
Make thou our childhood thine;
That we with these the meek and mild
May share the love divine.
HO is he, in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?
'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord, the King of Glory!
At his feet we humbly fall;
Crown him, crown him Lord of all!
At his feet we humbly fall—the Lord of all:
Crown him, Lord of all!
2 Who is he, in yonder cot,
Bending to his toilsome lot?
3 Who is he, in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?
4 Who is he that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?
5 Lo! at midnight, who is he,
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
6 Who is he, in Calvary's throes,
Asks for blessings on his foes?
7 Who is he that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?
8. Who is he that on yon throne
Rules the world of light alone?
The simpler Hymns in other parts of the book are also suitable for use at Catechism, and should be freely used in addition to the Hymns in this part. A list of
such hymns is given in the Musical Edition.
The following Hymns need not always be sung in the order given those in the first section (613-640) which are not taken from the English processionals are arranged on similar principles, but are suitable also for use as separate hymns on other occasions.
Prudentius, b. 348. Tr. R. F. D.
Corde natus ex parentis.
the Father's heart begotten,
Of Father's heart begottese,
He is Alpha from that Fountain
All that is and hath been flows;
He is Omega, of all things
Yet to come the mystic Close,
Evermore and evermore.
2 By his word was all created;
He commanded and 'twas done;
Earth and sky and boundless ocean,
Universe of three in one,
All that sees the moon's soft radiance,
All that breathes beneath the sun,
3 He assumed this mortal body,
Frail and feeble, doomed to die,
That the race from dust created
Might not perish utterly,
Which the dreadful Law had sentenced
In the depths of hell to lie,
4 O how blest that wondrous birthday,
When the Maid the curse retrieved,
Brought to birth mankind's salvation,
By the Holy Ghost conceived ;
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
In her loving arms received,
5* This is he, whom seer and sybil
Sang in ages long gone by;
This is he of old revealed
In the page of prophecy ;
Lo! he comes, the promised Saviour;
Let the world his praises cry!
6* Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
Angels and Archangels, sing!
Wheresoe'er ye be, ye faithful,
Let your joyous anthems ring,
Every tongue his name confessing,
Countless voices answering,
7 Hail! thou Judge of souls departed;
Hail of all the living King!
On the Father's right hand throned,
Through his courts thy praises ring,
Till at last for all offences
Righteous judgement thou shalt bring,
At the entrance into the Choir.
8* Now let old and young uniting
Chant to thee harmonious lays,
Maid and matron hymn thy glory,
Infant lips their anthem raise,
Boys and girls together singing
With pure heart their song of praise,
9. Let the storm and summer sunshine,
Gliding stream and sounding shore,
Sea and forest, frost and zephyr,
Day and night their Lord adore ;
Let creation join to laud thee
Through the ages evermore,
. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
R. God is the Lord who hath showed us light.
Collect for Christmas Day.
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