Come to the Manger (Young)

’Tis the sea­son of Christ­mas—away to the man­ger

The place of all others where Christ­ians should prove

The zeal of dis­ci­ples to wel­come the Strang­er

Who comes on His mis­sion of mer­cy and love.

And what tho’ His roof and re­cep­tion be low­ly

Where only the poor and the hum­ble re­pair;

’Tis the birth­place of Christ

con­se­crat­ed and ho­ly

’Tis the tem­ple of God­head

for Je­sus is there!

Oh

come to the man­ger—the an­gel is wing­ing

Thro’ the air

while his tid­ings are sound­ing abroad;

A le­gion of heav­en­ly chor­is­ters sing­ing

Good will to the na­tions

and glo­ry to God!

Hast thou not a word for that won­der­ful meet­ing?

No song in that an­them of glo­ry to share?

Awake from thy slum­bers

to join in their greet­ing

And come to the man­ger—for Je­sus is there!

Oh

come to the man­ger—the shep­herds

ob­ey­ing

The her­ald of glo­ry

are there ev­en now;

Their fer­vent pe­ti­tions of gra­ti­tude pay­ing

And plead­ing their feal­ty and mak­ing their vow.

Hast thou no al­le­giance to of­fer be­fore Him?

No vows of af­fect­ion

no pe­ni­tent pray­er?

Awake from thy slum­bers

pre­pare to adore Him

And come to the man­ger—for Je­sus is there!

Oh

come to the man­ger—the star is yet shin­ing

Undimmed by a cloud

une­clipsed by the morn;

Like cur­tains of sil­ver

its ra­di­ance in­clin­ing

To shel­ter the couch where the Sav­ior was born.

It shines to in­vite

to as­sure

to di­rect thee

’Tis an om­en of mer­cy—no long­er for­bear;

The shep­herds

the ma­gi

the an­gels ex­pect thee

Come

come to the man­ger—for Je­sus is there!