Good Friday

[dreamflower]

A hymn, appropriate to the day, behind the cut.

When I survey the wondrous cross

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.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

~Isaac Watts~

Comments

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for posting this! Few people can bring it like Isaac Watts.

I've had "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" running through my head all day... I blame it on the fact that I've been doing some research on English translations of German hymns (okay, so it's technically an English translation of a German translation of a Latin hymn). The song is insanely long, goes into one of those sermon-in-a-box discursions that you have to expect from pre-literate Christianity, and has a weirder rhyme scheme that just doesn't fit as well into English now...

But the melody is so perfectly Lenten that I always have it in my mind on Good Friday.

Hope yours is blessed.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Isaac Watts was an epic hymn writer, wasn't he? So many great ones came from his pen. I often find myself thinking of "Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed" on Good Friday, and when it's rainy, like it was today, this stanza seems especially to leap out at me:

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature's sin.

[harrowcatliz.livejournal.com]

It is now Holy Sat for me. I must have sung that hymn 4 times yesterday and still love it.
Happy Easter tomorrow everyone!

[coneygoil.livejournal.com]

I adore this hymn! It's so beautiful. Michael W. Smith's version is my fave.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful and poignant and veyr fit for Good Friday (it's almost Easter Sunday here now). Happy Easter, Barbra.

*hugs*

[obeliamedusa.livejournal.com]

Ach, I love that one. Happy Easter, belatedly. Also belatedly, I loved your LOTR apron! I meant to go comment at the actual site, but being more brainless than usual lately, I keep forgetting. :-\ Anyway, I thought it was really neat.

*hugs*