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The Circumcision of Christ.

Almighty God, Who mad’st Thy Son to bless, and be to all men perfect righteousness, in Abram’s rite submission first began; in this, obedient to the Law for man! Thy holy Law, it pleased Him to fulfil in evergrowing patience, power and will; contemplate we His pattern, as this day, and strive to follow His blest steps alway. Grant that thy Spirit may our hearts inspire to circumcise each sordid base desire; that all our actions, every word and thought, into Thy true obedience may be brought. That all our members we may mortify, cause every carnal lust to droop and die before the pureness of His pitying grace, at the remembrance of His dwellingplace! For us, for us, He bore that legal pain; in all things He bore loss, that we might gain power to obey Thy everblessed word, through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

1 Almighty God, Who mad’st Thy Son to bless,
and be to all men perfect righteousness,
in Abram’s rite submission first began;
in this, obedient to the Law for man!
2 Thy holy Law, it pleased Him to fulfil
in evergrowing patience, power and will;
contemplate we His pattern, as this day,
and strive to follow His blest steps alway.
3 Grant that thy Spirit may our hearts inspire
to circumcise each sordid base desire;
that all our actions, every word and thought,
into Thy true obedience may be brought.
4 That all our members we may mortify,
cause every carnal lust to droop and die
before the pureness of His pitying grace,
at the remembrance of His dwellingplace!
5 For us, for us, He bore that legal pain;
in all things He bore loss, that we might gain
power to obey Thy everblessed word,
through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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Text attr. Eliza Humphreys
Tune Morecambe
Frederick C. Atkinson (1841-1897)

The Circumcision of Christ.

Almighty God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit; that our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.