Friday, April 06, 2012

Wondrous Friday

For those of you who still have trouble with "Good Friday" I offer "Wondrous Friday" as a generous pastoral response.



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.

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.

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?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

[Added by the compilers of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern]
To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.

Words: Isaac WattsHymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1707. 

Charles Wes­ley re­port­ed­ly said he would give up all his other hymns to have writ­ten this one, and I would consider that to be a strong recommendation.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks Phillip,

    Have a good Easter. Make like a disciple and go fishing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:53 AM

    A Blessed weekend to you and yours, my friend. This is our Christian "Super Bowl" and I wish we Christians treated it better than Christmas. Christmas means nothing without the events of Holy Week.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:13 AM

    Hate to be self-referential but here's a post of mine from a few years back on Maunday Thursday you might enjoy.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete