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 Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed from 1707.
1 Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?
2 Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature’s sin.
4 Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.
5 But drops of tears can ne’er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
’tis all that I can do.
I love the fact that such an old hymn has so many instances on YouTube. It’s clearly cherished by millions. It expresses sadness, joy and amazement at the fact that our Creator didn’t only become human, but went all the way to the cross to save us. It’s often sung with the following refrain:
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith, I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.
We sometimes laugh at the line “And now I am happy all the day.” Are we truly happy all day? 😀 But it doesn’t mean that we’re constantly in a good mood. It means that we’re happy to be saved – and surely it lifts our spirits when we meditate on God’s love for us. And why not do that at various points throughout the day?
Here are some other versions:
Hibernia Gospel 