Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm doth bind the
Who bidd'st the mighty o cean deep Its own ap-pointed limits keep:
0 hear us when we cry to Thee For those in per il on
1 ETERNAL Father, strong to save,
Whose arm doth bind the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea!
2 O Saviour, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard, Who walkedst on the foaming deep, And calm amid its rage didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea!
3 O sacred Spirit, who didst brood Upon the chaos dark and rude, Who bad'st its angry tumult cease, And gavest light and life and peace: O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea!
4 0 Trinity of love and power, Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
And ever let there rise to Thec Glad hymns of praise from land and sea
William Whiting, 1860 (text of 1869)
where they sweet vig ils keep O'er the Babe who in silent sleep
While Him I love, in Him I live, And can not live
2 Love's sweetest mark, laud's highest theme, 4 Alas, He weeps, He sighs, He pants!
Man's most desired light,
To love Him life, to leave Him death,
To live in Him delight.
He mine by gift, I His by debt,
Thus each to other due,
First Friend He was, best Friend He is, All times will try Him true.
Yet do His angels sing;
Out of His tears, His sighs and throbs, Doth bud a joyful spring, Almighty Babe, whose tender arms Can force all foes to fly,
Correct my faults, protect my life, Direct me when I die.
Robert Southwell, 1560-1595
NCE in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle-shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall: With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
3 And, through all His wondrous childhood, He would honor and obey, Love and watch the lowly maiden In whose gentle arms He lay: Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as He.
4 For He is our childhood's Pattern, Day by day like us He grew, He was little, weak and helpless, Tears and smiles like us He knew, And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness.
5 And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above, And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone.
6 Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high; When like stars His children crowned All in white shall wait around.
Cecil F. Alexander. 1848
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