Passion of Christ
General
191
8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7
A lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
’Tis laden with the sin of earth,
None else the burden sharing;
It goes its way, grows weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
Its spotless life to offer;
Bears shame, and stripes, and wounds, and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”
2. This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great Friend
And everlasting Savior;
Him, Him God chose sin’s reign to end
And bring us to His favor.
“Go forth, My Son!” He said, “and bail
The children who are doomed to hell
But for Thine intercession.
The punishment is great, and dread
The wrath, but Thou Thy blood shalt shed
And save them from perdition.”
3. “Yea, Father, yea, most willingly
I’ll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree,
I do what Thou demandest.”
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
The Father offers up His Son,
The Son, content, descendeth!
O Love, O Love, how strong art Thou!
In shroud and grave Thou lay’st Him low
Whose word the mountains rendeth.
4. Thou lay’st Him, Love, upon the cross,
With nails and spear Him bruising;
Thou slay’st Him as a lamb, His loss
From soul and body oozing;
From body ’tis the crimson flood
Of precious sacrificial blood;
From soul, the strength of anguish.
My gain it is; sweet Lamb to Thee
What can I give, whose love to me
For me doth make Thee languish?
5. Lord, all my life I’ll cleave to Thee,
Thy love fore’er beholding,
Thee ever, as Thou ever me,
With loving arms enfolding.
Yea, Thou shalt be my Beacon-light
To guide me safe through death’s dark night
And cheer my heart in sorrow.
Henceforth myself and all that’s mine
To Thee, my Savior, I consign,
From whom all things I borrow.
6. From morn till eve my theme shall be
Thy mercy’s wondrous measure;
To sacrifice myself to Thee,
My foremost aim and pleasure.
My stream of life shall flow for Thee,
Its steadfast current ceaselessly
In praise to Thee outpouring;
And all that Thou hast done for me
I’ll treasure in my memory,
Thy gracious love adoring.
7. Enlarge, shrine of my heart, and swell,
To thee shall now be given
A treasure that doth far excel
The worth of earth and heaven.
Away with the Arabian gold,
With treasures of an earthly mold!
I’ve found a better jewel.
My priceless treasure, Lord, my God,
Is Thy most holy, precious blood,
Which flowed from wounds so cruel.
8. This treasure ever I’ll employ,
This every aid shall yield me;
In sorrow it shall be my joy,
In conflict it shall shield me;
In joy, the music of my feast,
And when all else has lost its zest,
This manna still shall feed me;
In thirst my drink; in want my food;
My company in solitude,
To comfort and to lead me.
9. Death’s poison cannot harm me now,
Thy blood new life bestoweth;
My Shadow from the heat art Thou,
When noonday’s sunlight gloweth.
When I’m by inward grief opprest,
On Thee my weary soul shall rest,
As sick men on their pillows.
Thou art my Anchor, when by woe
My bark is driven to and fro
On trouble’s restless billows.
10. And when Thy glory I shall see
And taste Thy kingdom’s pleasure,
Thy blood my royal robe shall be
And joy beyond all measure;
It then shall be my glorious crown,
Thus I’ll appear before the throne
Of God and need not hide me;
And shall, by Him to Thee betrothed,
By Thee in bridal garments clothed,
Stand as a bride beside Thee.
Paul Gerhardt, 1653.
192
7, 6, 8 l
Jesus, I will ponder now
On Thy holy Passion;
With Thy Spirit me endow
For such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
May the image cherish
Of Thy suffering, pain, and death,
That I may not perish.
2. Make me see Thy great distress,
Anguish, and affliction,
Bonds and stripes and wretchedness
And Thy crucifixion;
Make me see how scourge and rod,
Spear and nails did wound Thee,
How for man Thou diedst, O God,
Who with thorns had crowned Thee.
3. Yet, O Lord, not thus alone
Make me see Thy Passion,
But its cause to me make known
And its termination.
Ah! I also and my sin
Wrought Thy deep affliction;
This the cause alone hath been
Of Thy crucifixion.
4. Grant that I Thy Passion view
With repentant grieving
Nor Thee crucify anew
By unholy living.
How could I refuse to shun
Every sinful pleasure
Since for me God’s only Son
Suffered without measure?
5. If my sins give me alarm
And my conscience grieve me,
Let Thy cross my fear disarm,
Peace of conscience give me.
Grant that I may trust in Thee
And Thy holy Passion.
If His Son so loveth me,
God must have compassion.
6. Grant that I may willingly
Bear with Thee my crosses,
Learning humbleness of Thee,
Peace mid pain and losses.
May I give Thee love for love.
Hear me, O my Savior,
That I may in heaven above
Sing Thy praise forever.
Sigmund von Birken, 1653; A. Crull, tr.
193
L. M.
To Thee, Lord Jesus, thanks we give,
Who diedst for us that we might live
And through Thy holy, precious blood
Hast made us righteous before God.
2. We pray Thee, O true God and Man,
Who wast for our offenses slain:
Save us from everlasting death
And cheer us when we yield our breath.
3. Defend us, Lord, from sin and shame;
Help us by Thine almighty name
To bear our crosses patiently,
To trust in Thy great agony,
4. And thence the full assurance gain
That Thou wilt e’er our Friend remain
And not forsake us in our strife
Until we enter into life.
Chr. Fischer, c. 1568; A. Crull, tr., a.
194
8, 7, 8, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8
Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Thy holy wounds I find,
Every hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind.
Should some evil thought upstart,
Let Thy cross defend my heart,
Show the peril and from sinning
Keep me ere its first beginning.
2. Should some lust or sharp temptation
Prove too strong for flesh and blood,
Let me think upon Thy Passion,
And the breach is soon made good.
Or should Satan make his way
To my heart, O let me say:
“Jesus Christ for me was wounded,”
And the Tempter flees confounded.
3. If the world my heart entices
On the broad and easy road,
Filled with mirth and pleasant vices,
Let me think upon the load
Thou didst once for me endure,
That I flee all thoughts impure,
Banishing each wild emotion,
Calm and blest in my devotion.
4. Yes, whate’er may pain or grieve me,
Let Thy wounds, Lord, make me whole.
When I’m faint, let them revive me,
Granting new life to my soul.
May Thy comfort render sweet
Every bitter cup I meet,
Thou, who by Thy death and Passion
Hast procured my soul’s salvation!
5. O my God, my Rock and Tower!
Grant that in Thy death I trust,
Knowing Death has lost his power
Since Thou trod’st him in the dust.
Savior, let Thine agony
Ever help and comfort me;
Let Thy death be my protection,
Safety, life, and resurrection.
6. Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Thy holy wounds I find,
Every hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind;
And when I this world must leave,
Grant that, Lord, to Thee I cleave,
In Thy wounds find consolation,
And obtain my soul’s salvation.
J. Heermann, 1644, a.
195
L. M.
Lord Jesus Christ, my Life, my Light,
My Strength by day, my Trust by night,
On earth I’m but a passing guest
And sorely with my sins opprest.
2. Far off I see my fatherland,
Where through Thy blood I hope to stand.
But ere I reach that Paradise,
A weary way before me lies.
3. My heart sinks at the journey’s length,
My wasted flesh has little strength,
My soul alone still cries in me:
“Lord, take me home, take me to Thee!”
4. O let Thy sufferings give me power
To meet the last and darkest hour;
Thy sweat refresh and comfort me,
Thy bonds and fetters make me free!
5. The blows and stripes that fell on Thee
Heal up the wounds of sin in me;
Thy crown of thorns, Thy foes’ mad spite,
Let be my glory and delight.
6. That thirst and bitter draught of Thine
Cause me to bear with patience mine;
Thy piercing cry uphold my soul
When floods of anguish o’er me roll.
7. O let Thy holy wounds for me
Clefts in the rock forever be
Where as a dove my soul can hide
And safe from Satan’s rage abide.
8. And when my lips grow white and chill,
Thy Spirit cry within me still
And help my soul Thy heaven to find
When these poor eyes grow dark and blind.
9. And when my spirit flies away,
Thy dying words shall be my stay.
Let me depart with peaceful brow
When I in death my head shall bow.
10. Thy cross shall be my staff in life,
Thy holy grave my rest from strife;
The winding-sheet that covered Thee,
Oh, let it be a shroud for me!
11. Lord, in Thy nail-prints let me read
That Thou to save me hast decreed,
And grant that in Thy opened side
My troubled soul may ever hide.
12. Since Thou hast died, the Pure, the Just,
I take my homeward way in trust.
The gates of heaven, Lord, open wide
When here I may no more abide.
13. And when the last Great Day shall come
And Thou, our Judge, shalt speak the doom,
Let me with joy behold the light
And set me then upon Thy right.
14. Renew this wasted flesh of mine
That like the sun it there may shine
Among the angels pure and bright,
Yea, like Thyself in glorious light.
15. Ah, then I’ll have my heart’s desire,
When, singing with the angels’ choir,
Among the ransomed of Thy grace,
Forever I’ll behold Thy face!
Martin Behm, 1603.
196
8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7, 7
Christ, the Life of all the living,
Christ, the Death of death, our foe,
Who, Thyself for me once giving
To the darkest depths of woe,
Madest reconciliation
And hast saved me from damnation:
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
2. Thou, ah! Thou, hast taken on Thee
Bonds and stripes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God!
Thus didst Thou my soul deliver
From the bonds of sin forever.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
3. Thou hast borne the smiting only
That my wounds might all be whole;
Thou hast suffered, sad and lonely,
Rest to give my weary soul;
Yea, the curse of God enduring,
Blessing unto me securing.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
4. Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
Treating Thee with cruel scorn,
And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee;
All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne
That as Thine Thou mightest own me
And with heavenly glory crown me.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
5. Thou hast suffered men to bruise Thee
That from pain I might be free;
Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee—
Thence I gain security;
Comfortless once Thou didst languish
Me to comfort in my anguish.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
6. Thou hast suffered great affliction
And hast borne it patiently,
Even death by crucifixion,
Fully to atone for me;
Thou didst choose to be tormented
That my doom should be prevented.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
E. C. Homburg, 1659.
197
7, 6, 7, 6, 8, 7, 6
When o’er my sins I sorrow,
Lord, I will look to Thee
And hence my comfort borrow
That Thou wast slain for me;
Yea, Lord, Thy precious blood was spilt
For me, O most unworthy,
To take away my guilt.
2. Oh, what a marvelous offering!
Behold! the Master spares
His servants, and their suffering
And grief for them He bears.
God stoopeth from His throne on high;
For me, His guilty creature,
He deigns as man to die.
3. My manifold transgression
Henceforth can harm me none,
Since Jesus’ bloody Passion
For me God’s grace hath won.
His precious blood my debts hath paid;
Of hell and all its torments
I am no more afraid.
4. Therefore I will forever
Give glory unto Thee,
O Jesus, loving Savior,
For what Thou didst for me.
I’ll spend my breath in songs of thanks
For Thy sad cry, Thy sufferings,
Thy wrongs, Thy guiltless death.
5. Lord, let Thy woes, Thy patience,
My heart with strength inspire
To vanquish all temptations
And spurn all base desire.
This thought I fain would cherish most—
What pain my soul’s redemption
Hath Thee, O Savior, cost.
6. Whate’er may be the burden,
The cross here on me laid,
Be shame or want my guerdon,
I’ll bear it with Thine aid.
Give patience, give me strength to take
Thee for my bright example
And all the world forsake.
7. And let me do to others
As Thou hast done to me:
Love all men as my brothers
And serve them willingly,
With ready heart, nor seek my own,
But as Thou, Lord, hast helped us,
From purest love alone.
J. Gesenius, 1646; C. Winkworth, tr., a.
198
11, 11, 11, 5
Beloved Jesus, what law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession,
Of what transgression?
2. They crown Thy head with thorns, they smite, they scourge Thee;
With cruel mockings to the cross they urge Thee;
They give Thee gall to drink, they still decry Thee;
They crucify Thee.
3. Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for which Thou, Lord, must languish;
Yea, all the wrath, the woe Thou dost inherit,
’Tis I do merit.
4. What strangest punishment is suffered yonder?
The Shepherd dies for sheep that love to wander;
The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him,
Who would not own Him.
5. The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted,
—
God is committed.
6. There was no spot in me by sin untainted;
Sick with sin’s poison, all my heart had fainted;
My heavy guilt to hell had well-nigh brought me,
Such woe it wrought me.
7. O wondrous love, whose depth no heart hath sounded,
That brought Thee here, by foes and thieves surrounded!
All worldly pleasures, heedless, I was trying
While Thou wert dying.
8. O mighty King, no time can dim Thy glory!
How shall I spread abroad Thy wondrous story?
How shall I find some worthy gifts to proffer?
What dare I offer?
9. For vainly doth our human wisdom ponder
Thy woes; Thy mercy still transcends our wonder.
Oh, how should I do aught that could delight Thee!
Can I requite Thee?
10. Yet unrequited, Lord, I would not leave Thee;
I will renounce whate’er doth vex or grieve Thee
And quench with thoughts of Thee and prayers most lowly
All fires unholy.
11. But since my own strength never will suffice me
To crucify desires that still entice me,
To all good deeds, oh, let Thy Spirit win me
And reign within me!
12. I think upon Thy mercy without ceasing,
That earth’s vain joys to me no more be pleasing;
To do Thy will shall be my sole endeavor
Henceforth forever.
13. Whate’er of earthly good this life may grant me
I’ll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross, shall daunt me;
I shall not fear what man can do to harm me
Nor death alarm me.
14. But, worthless is my sacrifice, I own it;
Yet, Lord, for love’s sake Thou wilt not disown it;
Thou wilt accept my gift in Thy great meekness
Nor shame my weakness.
15. And when, dear Lord, before Thy throne in heaven
To me the crown of joy at last is given,
Where sweetest hymns Thy saints forever raise Thee,
I, too, shall praise Thee.
From the Latin of Anselm of Canterbury; J. Heermann, † 1647. C. Winkworth, tr., a.
199
7s 6 l
Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the Tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away,
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
2. Follow to the judgment-hall,
View the Lord of life arraigned;
Oh, the wormwood and the gall!
Oh, the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss;
Learn of Him to bear the cross.
3. Calvary’s mournful mountain climb;
There, adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time,
God’s own sacrifice complete.
“It is finished!” hear Him cry;
Learn of Jesus Christ to die.
4. Early hasten to the tomb
Where they laid His breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom,—
Who hath taken Him away?
Christ is risen! He meets our eyes.
Savior, teach us so to rise.
James Montgomery, 1825.
200
C. M.
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
2. The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there have I, as vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.
3. Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved to sin no more.
4. E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die.
5. Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave.
W. Cowper, 1771.
201
7, 6, 8 l
O bleeding Head, and wounded,
And full of pain and scorn,
In mockery surrounded
With cruel crown of thorn!
O Head, once crowned with glory
And heavenly majesty,
But now despised and gory;
Yet here I welcome Thee!
2. Men spit upon and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
And flee before Thy glance.
How art Thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does Thy visage languish
Which once was bright as morn!
3. Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
Their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
The splendor that was there.
Pale Death, with cruel rigor,
Bereaveth Thee of life;
Thus losest Thou Thy vigor
And strength in this sad strife.
4. My burden, in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
Wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee,
Redeemer, spurn me not!
5. My Shepherd, now receive me!
My Guardian, own me Thine!
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts divine!
Thy lips have often fed me
With milk and sweetest food;
Thy Spirit oft has led me
To stores of heavenly good.
6. Here I will stand beside Thee,
From Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
In death’s last fatal grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.
7. Naught ever so much blesses,
So much rejoices me,
As when in Thy distresses
I take a part with Thee.
All, well for me if lying
Here at Thy feet, my Life,
I, too, with Thee were dying
And thus might end my strife!
8. Thanks from my heart I offer
Thee, Jesus, dearest Friend,
For all that Thou didst suffer;
My good didst Thou intend.
Ah! grant that I may ever
To Thy truth faithful be;
When soul and body sever,
May I be found in Thee!
9. When hence I must betake me,
Lord, do not Thou depart!
O nevermore forsake me
When death is at my heart!
When soul and body languish,
O leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own!
10. Be Thou my Consolation
And Shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion
When my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfold Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!
From the Latin of Bernard of Clairvaux; Paul Gerhardt, 1652.
202
L. M.
Enslaved by sin and bound in chains,
Beneath its dreadful tyrant sway,
And doomed to everlasting pains,
We wretched, guilty captives lay.
2. Nor gold nor gems could buy our peace,
Nor all the world’s collected store
Suffice to purchase our release;
A thousand worlds were all too poor.
3. Jesus, the Lord, the mighty God,
An all-sufficient ransom paid.
O matchless price! His precious blood
For vile, rebellious traitors shed.
4. Jesus the sacrifice became
To rescue guilty souls from hell;
The spotless, bleeding, dying Lamb
Beneath avenging Justice fell.
5. Amazing goodness! love divine!
O may our grateful hearts adore
The matchless grace; nor yield to sin,
Nor wear its cruel fetters more!
Anne Steele, † 1778.
Good Friday
203
7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8
O Lamb of God most holy,
Upon the cursed tree slain;
E’er patient, meek, and lowly,
Though heaped with hate and disdain.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us,
Have mercy on us, O Jesus!
2. O Lamb of God, most holy,
Upon the cursed tree slain;
E’er patient, meek, and lowly,
Though heaped with hate and disdain.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us,
Have mercy on us, O Jesus!
3. O Lamb of God, most holy,
Upon the cursed tree slain;
E’er patient, meek, and lowly,
Though heaped with hate and disdain.
All sins Thou borest for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us,
Thy peace be with us, O Jesus!
N. Decius, 1526; C. Winkworth, tr., a.
204
L. M.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts, 1707, a.
205
7, 7, 6, 7, 7, 8
See, world, thy Life assailèd,
On the accursed tree nailèd;
Thy Savior sinks in death!
The mighty Prince from heaven
Himself hath freely given
To shame and blows and cruel wrath.
2. Come hither now and ponder,
’Twill fill thy soul with wonder,
Blood streams from every pore.
Through grief whose depth none knoweth,
From His great heart there floweth
Sigh after sigh of anguish o’er.
3. Who is it that afflicts Thee?
My Savior, what dejects Thee
And causeth all Thy woe?
Sin Thou committedst never,
As we and our seed ever,
Of deeds of evil naught dost know.
4. I, many times transgressing,
In number far surpassing
The sand upon the coast,
I thus the cause have given
That Thou with grief art riven
And with afflictions’ scourging host.
5. I’ve done it, and deliver
Me hand and foot forever
Thou justly might’st to hell.
The mocking to Thee offered,
The scourging Thou hast suffered,
My soul it was deserved it well.
6. The load Thou takest on Thee,
That pressed so sorely on me
Than stone more heavily.
A curse, Lord, Thou becamest,
Thus blessings for me claimest;
Thy pain must all my comfort be.
7. Not death itself Thou fearest,
As Surety Thou appearest
For all my debts and me.
For me Thy brow is crownèd
With thorns, and Thou’rt disownèd
By men and bear’st all patiently.
8. Into death’s jaws Thou springest,
Deliverance to me bringest
From such a monster dire.
My death away Thou takest,
Thy grave its grave Thou makest;
O love, O unexampled fire!
9. I’m bound, my Savior, ever
By ties most sacred never
Thy service to forsake;
With soul and body ever,
With all my powers t’ endeavor,
In praise and service joy to take.
10. Not much can I be giving
In this poor life I’m living,
But one thing do I say:
Thy death and sorrows ever,
Till soul from body sever,
My heart remember shall for aye.
11. Before mine eyes I’ll place them
And joyfully embrace them,
Wherever I may be;
They’ll be a glass revealing
Pure innocence and sealing
Love and unfeigned sincerity.
12. Of sin, how great the danger;
How it excites God’s anger;
How doth His vengeance burn;
How sternly He chastiseth;
How His wrath’s flood ariseth:—
Shall I from all Thy suff’rings learn.
13. From them shall I be learning
How I may be adorning
My heart with quietness,
And how I still should love them
Whose malice aye doth move them
To grieve me by their wickedness.
14. When tongues of bad men grieve me,
Of peace and name deprive me,
My restive heart I’ll still,
Their evil deeds enduring,
Of pardon free assuring
My neighbor for his every ill.
15. Upon the cross I’ll nail me
With Thee; when sins assail me
Thou shalt my Refuge be.
Forsaking sins that grieve Thee,
Lord, let me never leave Thee,
And let me find my strength in Thee.
16. Thy groaning and Thy sighing,
Thy thousand tears and crying,
That once were heard from Thee,
They’ll lead me to Thy glory,
Where I shall joy before Thee
And evermore at rest shall be!
Paul Gerhardt, 1653; J. Kelly, tr., a.
206
L. M.
Thy soul, O Jesus, hallow me,
Thy Spirit steep me all in Thee,
Thy body, pierced by ruthless steel,
My wretched soul and body heal.
2. The water from Thy side that poured
For me a cleansing bath afford,
And all Thy blood, with life divine,
Revive this weakened heart of mine.
3. The sweat of death upon Thy face
Deliver me from death’s embrace,
And all Thy Passion, cross, and pain,
With strength my feebleness sustain.
4. O Christ, turn not away from me,
Receive and hide me all in Thee,
Within Thy holy wounds inclose,
And keep me safe from all my foes.
5. In death’s dark hour with me abide
And place me, Savior, at Thy side,
Where with Thy saints I shall adore
And praise Thee, Lord, forevermore.
J. Scheffler, † 1677; M. Loy, tr., a.
207
8, 8, 7, 8, 7
Sev’n times our blessed Savior spoke
When on the cross our sins He took
And died lest man should perish.
Let us His last and dying words
In our remembrance cherish.
2. “Father, forgive these men, for, lo,
They truly know not what they do.”
So far His love extended.
Forgive us, Lord, for we, too, have
Through ignorance offended.
3. Now to the contrite thief He cries:
“Thou, verily, in Paradise
Shalt meet me ere to-morrow.”
Lord, take us to Thy kingdom soon,
Who linger here in sorrow.
4. To weeping Mary, standing by,
“Behold thy Son!” now hear Him cry;
To John, “Behold thy mother!”
Provide, O Lord, for those we leave,
Let each befriend the other.
5. The Savior’s fourth word was, “I thirst!”
O mighty Prince of Life, Thy thirst
For us and our salvation
Is truly great; do help us, then,
That we escape damnation.
6. The fifth, “My God, my God, O why
Forsake me?” Hark, the awful cry!
Lord, Thou wast here forsaken
That we might be received on high;
Let this hope not be shaken.
7. The sixth, when victory was won,
“’Tis finished!” for Thy work was done.
Grant, Lord, that, onward pressing,
We may the work Thou dost impose
Fulfil with Thine own blessing.
8. The last, as woe and sufferings end,
“O God, My Father, I commend
Into Thy hands My spirit.”
Be this, dear Lord, my dying wish;
O heavenly Father, hear it!
9. Whoe’er, by sense of sin opprest,
Upon these words his thoughts will rest,
He joy and hope obtaineth
And, through God’s love and boundless grace,
A peaceful conscience gaineth.
10. O Jesus Christ, Thou Crucified,
Who hast for our offenses died,
Grant that we e’er may ponder
Thy wounds, Thy cross, Thy bitter death,
Both here below and yonder.
Johann Boeschenstein, 15th cent.; tr., anon.
208
6, 5, 6, 5
Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the life-blood
From His sacred veins!
2. Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
3. Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torments
Did the world redeem!
4. Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
5. Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
6. Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Italian, 18th cent.; E. Caswall, tr., 1857.
209
8, 7, 8 l
Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He! ’tis He!
’Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
’Tis the true and faithful Word.
2. Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting His distress;
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.
3. Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See who bears the awful load;
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.
4. Here we have a firm foundation;
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ’s the Rock of our salvation:
His the name of which we boast;
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.
Thomas Kelly, 1804.
210
8, 7, 8 l
Jesus, Refuge of the weary,
Object of the spirit’s love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above;
O how oft Thine eyes, offended,
Gaze upon the sinner’s fall!
Yet, upon the cross extended,
Thou didst bear the pain of all.
2. Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see Thee wounded, bleeding,
See Thy thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Thy sinless death hath brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Thy grace hath taught us
Calms the sinner’s stormy breast.
3. Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for Thee;
May our eyes be ever turning
To Thy cross of agony;
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessed Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever
Dwell the cross, the Crucified!
Jerome Savonarola, † 1498.
211
C. M.
Behold the Savior of mankind
Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined
To bleed and die for thee!
2. Hark how He groans while nature shakes
And earth’s strong pillars bend!
The Temple’s veil in sunder breaks,
The solid marbles rend.
3. ’Tis done; the precious ransom’s paid;
“Receive my soul!” He cries:
See where He bows His sacred head!
He bows His head and dies.
4. But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain
And in full glory shine.
O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love, like Thine?
Samuel Wesley, Sr., 1700.
212
8, 7, 8, 7, 7, 7
Come to Calvary’s holy mountain,
Sinners, ruined by the Fall;
Here a pure and healing fountain
Flows to you, to me, to all,
In a full, perpetual tide,
Opened when our Savior died.
2. Come in poverty and meanness,
Come defiled, without, within;
From infection and uncleanness,
From the leprosy of sin,
Wash your robes and make them white;
Ye shall walk with God in light.
3. Come in sorrow and contrition,
Wounded, impotent, and blind;
Here the guilty free remission,
Here the troubled peace, may find.
Health this fountain will restore;
He that drinks shall thirst no more.
4. He that drinks shall live forever;
’Tis a soul-renewing flood.
God is faithful; God will never
Break His covenant of blood,
Signed when our Redeemer died,
Sealed when He was glorified.
James Montgomery, 1819.
213
7s 8 l
Savior, when in dust to Thee
Low we bow th’ adoring knee,
When, repentant, to the skies
Scarce we lift our weeping eyes,
Oh, by all Thy pains and woe,
Suffered once for man below,
Bending from Thy throne on high,
Hear our solemn litany!
2. By Thy helpless infant years,
By Thy life of want and tears,
By Thy days of sore distress
In the savage wilderness,
By the dread, mysterious hour
Of th’ insulting Tempter’s power:
Turn, O turn, a favoring eye,
Hear our solemn litany!
3. By Thine hour of dire despair,
By Thine agony of prayer,
By the cross, the nail, the thorn,
Piercing spear, and torturing scorn;
By the gloom that veiled the skies
O’er the dreadful sacrifice:
Listen to our humble cry,
Hear our solemn litany!
4. By Thy deep expiring groan;
By the sad sepulchral stone;
By the vault, whose dark abode
Held in vain the rising God:
Oh, from earth to heaven restored,
Mighty, reascended Lord,
Listen, listen to the cry
Of our solemn litany!
Robert Grant, 1815, a.
214
C. M.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
2. Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in
When God, the mighty Maker, died
For man the creature’s sin.
4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear Cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes in tears.
5. But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
’Tis all that I can do.
Isaac Watts, 1707.
Burial of Jesus
215
4, 4, 7, 7, 6
O darkest woe!
Ye tears, forth flow!
Has earth so sad a wonder?
God the Father’s only Son
Now is buried yonder!
2. O sorrow dread
Our God is dead!
But by His expiation
Of our guilt upon the cross
Gained for us salvation.
3. O child of man!
It was the ban
Of death on thee that brought Him
Down to suffer for thy sins,
And such woe hath wrought Him.
4. See, stained with blood,
The Lamb of God,
The Bridegroom, lies before thee,
Pouring out His life that He
May to life restore thee.
5. O Ground of faith,
Laid low in death,
Sweet lips now silent sleeping!
Surely all that live must mourn
Here with bitter weeping.
6. O Virgin-born,
Thy death we mourn,
Thou lovely Star of gladness!
Who could see Thy reeking blood
Without grief and sadness?
7. Yea, blest is he
Whose heart shall be
Fixed here, who apprehendeth
Why the Lord of Glory thus
To the grave descendeth.
8. O Jesus blest,
My Help and Rest,
With tears I now entreat Thee:
Make me love Thee to the last,
Till in heaven I greet Thee!
First stanza, anon.; J. Rist, 1641.
216
4, 4, 7, 7, 6
So rest, my Rest,
Thou Ever-blest!
Thy grave with sinners making;
By Thy precious death from sin
My dead soul awaking.
2. After Thy strife,
Life of my life,
Thou’rt in the tomb reposing,
Round Thee now a rock-hewn grave,
Rock of Ages, closing.
3. How cold art Thou,
My Savior, now!
Thy fervent love hath driven
Thee into the cold, dark grave
That I might gain heaven.
4. Breath of all breath!
I know from death
Thou wilt my dust awaken;
Wherefore should I dread the grave
Or my faith be shaken?
5. To me the tomb
Shall be a room
Where I lie down on roses;
Who by faith hath conquered death
Sweetly there reposes.
6. The body dies—
Naught else—and lies
In dust until victorious
From the grave it shall arise
Beautiful and glorious.
7. Meantime I will,
My Savior, still
Deep in my bosom lay Thee,
Ever musing on Thy death.
Leave me not, I pray Thee!
Sal. Franck, 1716.
217
L. M.
Lord Jesus, who, our souls to save,
Didst rest and slumber in the grave,
Now grant us all in Thee to rest
And here to live as seems Thee best.
2. Give us the strength, the dauntless faith,
That Thou hast purchased with Thy death
And lead us to that glorious place
Where we shall see the Father’s face.
3. O Lamb of God, who once wast slain,
We thank Thee for that bitter pain.
Let us share in Thy death that we
May enter into life with Thee.
G. Werner, 1638; C. Winkworth, tr., a.