Behold a Little Child

Behold a lit­tle child

Laid in a man­ger bed;

The win­try blasts blow wild

Around His in­fant head;

But who is this so low­ly laid?

’Tis He by whom the worlds were made.

Alas! in what poor state

The Son of God is seen;

Why did the Lord so great

Choose out a home so mean?

That we may learn from pride to flee

And to fol­low His hu­mil­ity.

Where Jo­seph plies his trade

Lo

Je­sus la­bors

too;

The hands that all things made

An earth­ly craft pur­sue

That wea­ry men in Him may rest

And faith­ful toil through Him be blessed.

Among the doc­tors see

The Boy so full of grace;

Say

where­fore tak­eth He

The scho­lar’s low­ly place?

That child­ren all

with rev­er­ence meet

May sit and learn at Je­sus’ feet.

Christ

once Thy­self a boy

Our child­hood guard and guide;

Be Thou its light and joy

And still with us abide

That Thy dear love

so great and free

May draw us ev­er­more to Thee.