Sweet and Old

Have you list­ened to the sto­ry

Sweet and old?

Have you list­ened to the sto­ry

Filling life with light and glo­ry

Men have told?

How there came a heav’n­ly strang­er

Cradled low in Beth­l’hem’s man­ger

Strong to shield from death and dan­ger

God’s dear fold?

He was wronged ab­ove all oth­ers

Mocked

de­nied;

He was wronged ab­ove all oth­ers

Bruised and brok­en

O my bro­thers

Crucified;

In a pur­ple robe they bound Him

With the cru­el thorns they crowned Him;

Pitiless

they ga­thered round Him

Till He died.

When I heard the won­drous sto­ry

So di­vine;

When I heard the won­drous story

Coming down thro’ an­nals hoa­ry

Christ was mine;

O that love be­yond com­par­ing

Burdened heart

thy sor­row shar­ing

For thy sake the thorn-crown wear­ing!

Is He thine?