Jesus, friend of little children

Jesus, friend of little children. Walter John Mathams* (1853-1931). According to Percy Dearmer* (Songs of Praise Discussed, 1933, p. 201) this hymn was written at 24 Chalmers Street, Edinburgh in May 1882 at the request of the committee editing the Baptist Union’s Psalms and Hymns for School and Home (1882). In that book it was headed ‘“I have called you friends”. John xv.15’. It became very popular as a hymn in the children’s section of many books. Dearmer noted that it was ‘a great favourite with the children of the Congo and the west coast of Africa.’ In SofPE Dearmer printed three stanzas only, omitting stanzas 2, 4 and 5 of the original 6: Jesus, friend of little children,   Be a...