Welcome God’s and Mary’s Son

Welcome God’s and Ma­ry’s Son

Jesu

who to earth des­cend­ing

Didst our na­ture with Thine own

Join in un­ion nev­er end­ing:

Save us from th’op­press­or’s rod

Oh our bro­ther and our God!

All was lost in Ad­am’s fall;

All in Thee is now re­co­vered.

Once to sin and death a thrall

O’er the pit of hell I ho­vered:

Now I learn to cling to Thee—

Once with Ad­am

one with me.

Out of Heav’n didst Thou come down;

Out of hell my soul de­li­ver.

Scarce a stall in David’s town

Welcomed Thee; but

gra­cious Giv­er

Grant to us be­yond the sky

Each a star­ry home on high.

Cleaves my soul to dross and dust;

Help me

Lord

I sink and per­ish;

Purge my heart of earth­ly lust

Life di­vine with­in me cher­ish;

Dweller in the man­ger

Thou

Dwell Thy­self with­in me now.

Scant and mean the swad­dling clothes

Limbs di­vine

like Thine

to co­ver!

Be the sin my spir­it loathes

Bound in them and co­vered over:

But my­self be clothed in Thee

Jesu

by Thy Spir­it free.

Ah! the pain that came to Thee

In the hard and nar­row man­ger!

May my spir­it cra­dled be

In Thy heart

se­cure from dan­ger

When my wea­ry head is hid

Underneath the cof­fin lid.

Is it still the de­vil’s lust

Souls of men in sin to smo­ther?

Yet in this I put my trust—

God be­came my friend and bro­ther!

Heart and mind in Thee to dwell

Help me

mine Im­ma­nu­el!