I have previously covered the topic of hymns, and while that blog post was well received, I feel as though I did not discuss all the hymns I wanted to. Therefore, this acts as a sequel–a part two–to that first blog. So, without further ado, let us jump into these sweet, powerful hymns.
The first hymn I would like to discuss is William T. Sleeper’s “Jesus, I Come”. I love this song, because it uses contrast to show what a difference Christ makes to those who believe in Him. Take the first verse, for example:
“Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my sickness into thy health,
Out of my want and into thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into thyself,
Jesus, I come to thee.”
Every verse in this song is structured like this, and it does a great job of drawing a parallel between pre-Christ life and post-Christ life. For myself, as well as for many others, it serves as a reminder that Jesus calls us out of our worries and strife, out of our guilt and despair, to live in His wonderful light.
In that same vein, the hymn “Calvary Covers It All”, written by a woman named Ethel Taylor, conveys the message of Christ’s redemption of mankind in these powerful, profound words:
“Far dearer than all that the world can impart
Was the message that came to my heart.
How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone,
And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.”
These words, full of truth and love, are yet another reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
Sticking with the theme of salvation, I recently discovered a song with the most beautiful imagery, and it struck me to my core. It’s an old hymn written by a man named G.T Haywood, and the chorus particularly stands out because its lyrics evoke strong emotions within me. The chorus reads:
“I see a crimson stream of blood,
It flows from Calvary,
Its waves which reach the throne of God,
Are sweeping over me.”
I absolutely love the imagery in this hymn! It would’ve been easy for this author to have written something simple, such as “the blood of Jesus washes away my sins” but he doesn’t write that. Instead, he deliberately chooses to craft a beautiful image of Jesus’s blood as a stream that reaches to the very throne of God, then sweeping over us. I think the author chose the word “sweeping” rather than “washing” because the former has a more urgent, aggressive feel to it. To say that water is washing over you is one thing, but to say that waves are sweeping over you is something much grander; it packs more of a punch.
The next hymn I want to draw your attention to is one that I don’t see around very often, even within communities that still sing hymns. That hymn is titled “Ivory Palaces”, and it was written by a man named Henry Barraclough. The chorus of this hymn describes what it must’ve been like for Jesus to leave heaven to come down to earth. It reads:
“Out of the ivory palaces
into a world of woe,
only his great eternal love
made my Savior go.”
When I first heard this hymn, it touched my heart so much, because it truly made me realize how much Jesus left behind to come down to this earth, this place that is not like heaven at all. He had everything He could ever want in heaven; He was continuously in the very Presence of God, but He chose to give it all up for us, and that never fails to amaze me!
Finally, I would like to share with you the lyrics to my personal favorite hymn, written by William E. Booth-Clibborn titled “Down From His Glory”.
“Down from His glory,
Ever living story,
My God and Savior came,
And Jesus was His Name.
Born in a manger,
To His own a stranger,
A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.
O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.
What condescension,
Bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,
Not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender,
Laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.
O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.
Without reluctance,
Flesh and blood
His substance,
He took the form of man,
Revealed the hidden plan,
O glorious myst’ry
Sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art the great “I Am.”
O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.”
コメント