Young Christian's first lesson-book/Lesson Twelve

by Philip Doddridge

LESSON XII.

Who Christ is and how he lived on Earth.

JESUS! how bright his glories ſhine!
The great Emmanuel is divine;
One with the Father he appears,
And all his father's honours ſhares;
Yet he, to bring ſalvation down,
Has put our mortal nature on.

He in an humble Virgin's womb
A feeble infant did become;
A ſtable was his lodging made,
And the rude manger was his bed.

Growing in life he ſtill was ſeen
Humble, laborious, poor, and mean;
The Son of God from year to year,
Did as a carpenter appear.

At length, when he to preach was ſent
Through towns and villages he went,
And trave l'd with unwearied zeal,
God's will and nature to reveal.

To prove the heav'nly truths he taught,
Unnumber'd miracles were wrought:
The blind beheld him, and the ear,
Which had been deaf, his voice could hear;
Sickneſs obey'd his healing hand,
And devils fled at his command!
The lame, for joy around him leap;
The dead he wakens from their ſleep!

Through all his life his doctrine ſhines,
Drawn in the plaineſt, faireſt lines;
And death at length he did ſuſtain,
Our pardon, and our peace to gain;
That ſinners, who condemned ſtood,
Might gain ſalvation by his blood.
All honour then aſcribed be
To him who liv'd and dy'd for me!