Once in royal David's city

Once 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 stall.
With the poor, and mean, and lowly'
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3
And through all His wondrous child-
hood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly mother
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.