My Favorite Hymn

[jonathan.borland]

What do you think about the theology of my favorite hymn? This one really gets me every time, especially the fourth. When Jesus enlightens us (as he does every man) and then when the Holy Spirit touches us and we feel his magnificent and awesome presence welling up all around and surrounding our spirits and at last we surrender to his soul-piercing call and respond with repentant brokenness and a willing following, well, there really is hardly language to describe the wonder of that experience. What do you all think?


1 And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

2 ’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

3 He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

5 No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

 

[Jerome]

Another stanza:

"Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven:
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel my Saviour in my heart."

 

[jbh28]

We're singing that this Sunday. I love that hymn

 

[jonathan.borland]

Thanks, Jerome. For some reason that one is not familiar to me, but I like it!

I wonder if others could post their favorite hymns here and maybe even discuss the theology of them.

Any comments on this verse?

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

 

[Iconoclast]

Thanks, Jerome. For some reason that one is not familiar to me, but I like it!

I wonder if others could post their favorite hymns here and maybe even discuss the theology of them.

Any comments on this verse?

What this stanza is speaking of is not what you spoke of here;
When Jesus enlightens us (as he does every man)

Everyman does not have stanza 4 applied to him...his heart is never free.

 

[WITBOTL]

Its hard to pick one, but this is one of my favorites...

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.

 

[TCassidy]

Charles Wesley's theology, as evidenced in that great hymn, was much better than his brother John's.

 

[Jerome]

Yet the Reformed Baptists' edition of the Presbyterian 'Trinity Hymnal' still felt compelled to doctor his words

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

to read:

And bled for all His chosen race.

 

[jonathan.borland]

Yet the Reformed Baptists' edition of the Presbyterian 'Trinity Hymnal' still felt compelled to doctor his words

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

to read:

And bled for all His chosen race.

Hmm, how do you know all these interesting facts? I'm envious!

 

[12strings]

Charles Wesley's theology, as evidenced in that great hymn, was much better than his brother John's.

I'm curious as to what you mean.

 

[12strings]

btw, here are a few of Charles Wesley's stanzas we don't sing anymore... Perhaps not all of them for the same reasons...


15. Harlots, and publicans, and thieves
In holy triumph join;
Saved is the sinner that believes
From crimes as great as mine.

16. Murderers, and all ye hellish crew,
Ye sons of lust and pride,
Believe the Saviour died for you;
For me the Saviour died.

17. Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,
And Christ shall give you light,
Cast all your sins into the deep,
And wash the Ethiop white.

 

[Iconoclast]

Yet the Reformed Baptists' edition of the Presbyterian 'Trinity Hymnal' still felt compelled to doctor his words

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

to read:

And bled for all His chosen race.

Of course they did jerome as hebrews tells us he died for the seed of abraham...not adam

 

[jonathan.borland]

Yet the Reformed Baptists' edition of the Presbyterian 'Trinity Hymnal' still felt compelled to doctor his words

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

to read:

And bled for all His chosen race.

I'm not sure they should be able to change his words like that. Just don't print the song if you hate it that bad.

 

[ktn4eg]

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1872
Music by Frederick C. Maker, 1881

1. Beneath the cross of Jesus,
I fain would take my stand:
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land,
A home within the wilderness,
A rest along the way,
From the burning of the noon-tide heat
And the burden of the day.

2. Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eyes at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
Two wonders I confess---
The wonders of His glorious love
And my unworthiness.

3. I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face,
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain or loss,
My sinful self mine only shame,
My glory all the cross.

 

[TCassidy]

I'm curious as to what you mean.

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Notice before he awoke, had his chains removed, and he went forth out of his prison cell, FIRST "Thine eye diffused a quickening ray."

Regeneration preceded any of the rest.

 

[HeirofSalvation]

Jonathan.......One of my Favourites too!!!!!
My other favorites are equally as beloved:
1.) There is a Fountain (William Cowper)
2.) Grace Greater than our Sin (by Johnston)
and
3.) Isaac Waats's "Alas and did my Saviour Bleed" <----------The verbiage of this song is usually bastardized in most hymnals and it sends me into a dimmension of rage I care not to discuss........Waats was so much more poetic, and dare I say Accurate...when he rendered it this way:

"Could he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I"

In most Trash hymnals today, it has this powerless and generic rendering:

Could he devote that sacred head for "sinners such as I"

Not only is that modern rendering less poetic, un-creative, wholly unnecessarry, but it actually shifts the subject of the statement.........It shifts focus from ONE INDIVIDUAL'S awareness of their own sinfullness to a generic plurality.......it isn't even accurate. I want to find the heathen who foisted this Devillish re-invention and tell him how I really feel about him, and his entire life of destroying the holy works of men 100 times better than either he or I can ever hope to be.

I think I'll go point out the numerous errors Beethoven included in his ninth Symphony shall I????
How arrogant can one be to think they are bright enough to improve on a hymn the likes of which, this editor couldn't copy in a million years???
I wouldn't spend a plug nickel on any hymnal which alters verbiage in that way. In fact, I would pay to burn it for someone.

Now that that's off my chest.......GREAT HYMN Jonathan I LOVE that one!!:jesus:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Notice before he awoke, had his chains removed, and he went forth out of his prison cell, FIRST "Thine eye diffused a quickening ray."

Regeneration preceded any of the rest.

Exactly!!! :thumbs:

 

[OldRegular]

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Notice before he awoke, had his chains removed, and he went forth out of his prison cell, FIRST "Thine eye diffused a quickening ray."

Regeneration preceded any of the rest.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[jonathan.borland]

My thoughts exactly!

Yes, this is what makes the song so good, since both sides can "claim" it as their own. Same as the Baptist Faith and Message document.

I think that stanza encapsulates salvation with brief but powerful strokes of the pen. Besides, I think everyone here would agree that God first comes to man and convicts him of his sin and need for salvation. I would call this the "quickening ray." Then waking up would be the positive and repentant response to the quickening ray. Then the flaming light would be, of course, the regenerating of our souls HALLELUJAH!

 

[jonathan.borland]

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1872
Music by Frederick C. Maker, 1881

1. Beneath the cross of Jesus,
I fain would take my stand:
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land,
A home within the wilderness,
A rest along the way,
From the burning of the noon-tide heat
And the burden of the day.

2. Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eyes at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
Two wonders I confess---
The wonders of His glorious love
And my unworthiness.

3. I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face,
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain or loss,
My sinful self mine only shame,
My glory all the cross.

Good one! Thanks for posting this!