The foe may great anguish engender:
My rose I will never surrender.
The last Christmas hymn of the collection is printed under the heading: “A Little Hymn for the Children”, and is composed from the text “Have ye not read, Out
of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise”. Said to be the
oldest children’s hymn in Danish, it is still one of the finest. It is written as a processional. The children come hastening on to Bethlehem to find the new-born
Lord and offer Him their homage. One almost hears their pattering feet and happy voices as they rush forward singing:
Here come Thy little ones, O Lord,
To Thee in Bethlehem adored.
Enlighten now our heart and mind
That we the way to Thee may find.
We hasten with a song to greet
And kneel before Thee at Thy feet.
O blessed hour, O sacred night,
When Thou wert born, our soul’s Delight!
Be welcome from Thy heavenly home
Unto this vale of tears and gloom,
Where man to Thee no honor gave
But stable, manger, cross and grave.
But Jesus, oh! how can it be
That but so few will think of Thee
And of that tender, wondrous love
Which drew Thee to us from above?
O draw us little children near
To Thee, our Friend and Brother dear,
That each of us so heartily
In faith and love may cling to Thee.
Let not the world lead us astray
That we our Christian faith betray,
But grant that all our longings be
Directed always unto Thee.
Then shall the happy day once come
When we shall gather in Thy home
And join the angels’ joyful throng
In praising Thee with triumph song.
We gather now about Thee close
Like leaves around the budding rose,
O grant us, Savior, that we may
Thus cluster round Thy throne for aye.
His Christmas hymns were so well received that Brorson was encouraged to continue his writing. During the following year he published no less than five collections bearing the titles: Some Advent Hymns, Some Passion Hymns, Some Easter Hymns, Some Pentecost Hymns, and Hymns for the Minor Festivals. All of these hymns were likewise kindly received and therefore he continued to send out new collections, publishing during the following years a whole series of hymns on various phases of Christian faith and life. In 1739, all these hymns were collected into one volume and published under the title: The Rare Clenod of Faith.
This now famous book contains in all 67 original and 216 translated hymns. The
