Scripture Verse

Jesus called a little child unto Him. Matthew 18:2

Introduction

portrait
Ernest Dugmore (1843–1925)

Words: Er­nest E. Dug­more, 1899. Pub­lished in Hymns of Ado­ra­tion (Park­stone, Eng­land: 1900).

Music: Eu­dox­ia Sa­bine Bar­ing-Gould, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Sabine Baring-Gould
(1834–1924)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

Substitute her for him if ap­pro­pri­ate.

Father, who hast ga­thered
This dear child to rest,
Unto Thee we yield him,
Sure Thou know­est best.

Thou, O Lord, who gav­est,
Dost Thine own re­claim;
Thou, O Lord, hast tak­en—
Blessèd still Thy name!

Thine by right cre­at­ive,
By re­demp­tion Thine,
By re­ge­ne­ra­tion
And the ho­ly sign.

Thou who didst en­dow him
With ba­ptis­mal grace,
Now in love hast brought him
To be­hold Thy face.

Safe from all earth’s sor­row,
Safe from all its pains,
Now this child of Ad­am,
Paradise re­gains:

Safe from all temp­ta­tion,
Safe from fear of sin,
Through the blood of sprink­ling
Holy, bright and clean.

Lay we this dear bo­dy
In the earth to sleep,
His sweet soul com­mend­ing
Unto Thee to keep:

Looking for the dawn­ing
Of that death­less day,
When all earth­ly sha­dows
Shall have fled away.

Only grant us, Fa­ther,
Courage in our strife,
And with him a por­tion
In un­end­ing life.