Grant to This Child the Inward Grace

Grant to this child the inward grace,
While we the outward sign impart;
The cross we on his forehead trace
Do Thou engrave upon his heart.

May it his pride and glory be,
Beneath Thy banner fair unfurled,
To march to certain victory
O’er sin, o’er Satan, o’er the world.

Author: Unknown

This baptismal hymn appears in various 19th-century collections (often linked to the Book of Common Prayer or Methodist hymnals) but is typically listed without a named author. No strong attribution to a specific writer such as Montgomery, Wesley, or Keble has been established; it may be the work of an anonymous compiler or minor hymnist of the period.