Religion
Hymn III.22: The compassion of a dying Christ
From Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book III (1709)
Our spirits join t' adore the Lamb;
O that our feeble lips could move
In strains immortal as his name,
And melting as his dying love!
Was ever equal pity found?
The Prince of heav'n resigns his breath,
And pours his life out on the ground,
To ransom guilty worms from death.
Rebels, we broke our Maker's laws
He from the threat'nings set us free,
Bore the full vengeance on his cross,
And nailed the curses to the tree.
The law proclaims no terror now,
And Sinai's thunder roars no more;
From all his wounds new blessings flow,
A sea of joy without a shore.
Here we have washed our deepest stains,
And healed our wounds with heav'nly blood;
Blest fountain! springing from the veins
Of Jesus, our incarnate God.
In vain our mortal voices strive
To speak compassion so divine;
Had we a thousand lives to give,
A thousand lives should all be thine.
Cite this poem
MLA
Watts, Isaac. “Hymn III.22: The compassion of a dying Christ.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/697/.
Chicago
Watts, Isaac. “Hymn III.22: The compassion of a dying Christ.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/697/.
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