Sunday Hymn
This hymn is one of my favorites. I first encountered it in college, where we sang it often. There are 8 verses, but these four are the ones I'm familiar with.
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
Words by Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, 1739 (translated by John Wesley, 1740)
Music by William Gardiner, 1815
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
Words by Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, 1739 (translated by John Wesley, 1740)
Music by William Gardiner, 1815
posted by Andrea at 8:41 AM
1 Comments:
I also learned it at college. I taught it to my church youth choir, but we didn't get to sing it before people left for school (and some of them moved away.) Sad. It isn't in our church hymnal, so it isn't easily sung by the congregation.
I love the music by Gardiner. I can play it over and over, and not tire of it.
I know some people worry overmuch about this verse
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
because there was a heresy that taught that the blood of Jesus is in a bowl in heaven ever sprinkled on the mercy seat. But I think that might be taking the poetry too far. I wonder how faithful Wesley's translation is to von Zinzendorf.
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