Scripture Verse

As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs, Book 1, 1707, num­ber 43. Je­sus our sure­ty and Sav­ior.

Music: Al­stone Chris­to­pher E. Will­ing, in the ap­pen­dix to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Will­ing (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Adam, our fa­ther and our head,
Transgressed, and jus­tice doomed us dead;
The fie­ry law speaks all des­pair:
There’s no re­prieve nor par­don there.

But, O un­ut­ter­able grace!
The Son of God takes Ad­am’s place;
Down to our world the Sav­ior flies,
Stretches His arms, and bleeds, and dies.

Justice was pleased to bruise the God,
And pay its wrongs with heav’n­ly blood:
What un­known racks and pangs He bore!
Then rose; the law could ask no more.

Amazing work! look down, ye skies,
Wonder and gaze with all your eyes;
Ye heav’n­ly thrones, stoop from above,
And bow to this mys­te­ri­ous love.

Lo! they adore th’in­car­nate Son,
And sing the glo­ries He hath won;
Sing how He broke our ir­on chains,
How deep He sunk, how high He reigns!

Triumph and reign, vic­to­ri­ous Lord,
By all the flam­ing hosts adored;
And say, dear Con­quer­or, say how long
Ere we shall rise to join their song.

Send down a cha­ri­ot from above,
With fie­ry wheels, and paved with love;
Raise us be­yond th’ethe­re­al blue,
To sing and love as an­gels do.