Sunday's Hymn: Jesus Christ

Today's featured hymn focuses on Christ's work: saving sinners through his death on the cross. I wrote something previously about word changes sometimes made in this hymn, and why I don't like those changes. Today, I'll just post the words as they were written by Isaac Watts, with a refrain written later by Ralph Hudson.

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?

(sometimes titled At the Cross when the refrain is included.)

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such worm as I?

Refrain
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

---Listen:

• Piano rendition of the Hudson tune which uses the refrain
  
• Another piano version that is a medley of this hymn together with Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross and Were You There?, done by Terry Lee Ousley of Farmington, Michigan.
• Piano rendition of the Martyrdom tune.
  

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Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted this Sunday:

• In the Bleak Midwinter at Chez Kneel. Make sure you check out the magnificent photos in his post too. I think that hot Ontario weather's getting to him!
  
• Crown Him with Many Crowns at John Dekker's Journal. You'll want to read John's commentary on the use of consonance in this hymn. Hymns are poetry, you know.
• Faith of our Fathers at Ian's Messy Desk.

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Have you posted a hymn or worship song this Sunday? Let me know in the comments and I'll add your post to the list, too. For the remainder of the summer, you should expect the Sunday's Hymn feature to be posted later in the day. My church service is now an hour earlier, so I'll most often post after church rather than before.

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