I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the old hymns.
Today’s song is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross from 1707.
1 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.
2 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 through his blood.
3 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?
4 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.
It’s a deeply devotional hymn that we often sang at communion. I don’t hear it as much nowadays. Verse one touches on a point that the Apostle Paul made. However high our status or whatever good deeds we do, none of that can get us to heaven. I often make the point that if you were the best swimmer in the world, and your ship sank in the middle of the Atlantic, you would still need to be saved. Even if some person could make it to the shore, you certainly can’t reach heaven on your own merits.
Paul was addressing confused Jewish believers who thought that the new gentile converts needed to follow all the Old Testament legal and ceremonial rituals. Paul was saying that they don’t count. If they did count, Paul would be in a good position, but he just disregarded them and focused on personal faith in Jesus and His death on the cross for us.
Philippians 3:4-6
…If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 7 However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,
And here’s an Old Testament verse that reminds us that our righteous deeds can’t merit salvation.
Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Some worry that if we are depending on Jesus rather than our good works, we won’t bother with good works. But the final verse of this hymn reminds us that the more we appreciate what Jesus did for us, the more we’ll want to do for him. We don’t live holy lives to merit a place in heaven. We do it out of love and thanksgiving and because it’s simply the right thing to do.
Charles Wesley, who wrote thousands of hymns, reportedly said he wished he had written “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and asked that no one alter it because he considered it nearly perfect. Perhaps no-one altered the lyrics, but I have heard it sung to a few different tunes and a few different styles.
Here are some other versions:
Hibernia Gospel 