Scripture Verse

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Meredith (1872–1962)

Words: Ed­ith S. Til­lot­son, in The Na­ti­vi­ty: A Christ­mas Ser­vice, ed­it­ed by Is­aac Me­re­dith (New York: Tul­lar-Me­re­dith, 1913), num­ber 10.

Music: Is­aac H. Me­re­dith (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Til­lot­son,

portrait
Edith Tillotson (1876–1968)

Lyrics

illustration

In the low­ly man­ger, poor and bare,
Lies a lit­tle child,
Sent from heav’n­ly realms of glo­ry fair,
Pure and un­de­filed.
Sent to live with men in low­ly guise,
All our ills to bear,
That at length with Him, ab­ove the skies,
We His crown may wear.

Refrain

Herald angels sing His greet­ing,
Mortal lips the strain re­peat­ing,
While His star, with ra­di­ant splen­dor,
Like a be­acon seems to shine.
Earth and Heav’n, to­day re­joic­ing,
Now unite their prais­es voic­ing,
In a song of glad thanks­giv­ing
For the gift di­vine.

Refrain

All our sin and sor­row He will know,
All our pain and grief,
In our very foot­steps He will go,
Bringing glad re­lief,
Showing us the straight and nar­row way,
That will lead ab­ove,
Bringing us to that bright end­less day,
In His world of love.

Refrain

Blessèd lit­tle Child in man­ger low,
Holy, un­crowned King,
Homage to Thy name we here be­stow,
While Thy prais­es ring,
Heaven’s price­less gift of love Thou art,
Whom the saints ad­ore,
Thou alone shalt rule in ev­ery heart,
Now and ev­er­more.

Refrain