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?
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.
by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) published Hymns and Spiritual Songs in 1707. Here is the best of these, perhaps the best hymn ever
N.B. Here is an EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT of the amazing work Watts has done in taking the prose of scripture and turning it into anointed verse:
The text is a meditation on Christ’s atoning death: at the cross God’s love is revealed, to each believer, requiring total commitment to Christ– “my soul, my life, my all!”
Watts’ profound and awe-inspiring words provide an excellent example of how a hymn text by a fine writer can pack a great amount of systematic theology into a few memorable lines.