Scripture Verse

The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. John 1:29

Introduction

portrait
Joachim J. Breithaupt (1658–1732)

Words: Jo­ach­im J. Breit­haupt, in Geist­reich­es Ge­sang-Buch (Hal­le, Ger­ma­ny: 1697) (Je­sus Chris­tus, Gott­es Lamm). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Jo­hann C. Ja­co­bi, 1725, alt.

Music: Lieb­ster Je­su Jo­hann R. Ah­le, 1664 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Christ th’eter­nal Lamb of God,
Died for man, His re­bel crea­ture,
Paid the ran­som with His blood,
To re­store fall’n hu­man na­ture:
Those that mourn their deep cor­rupt­ion
Share their Sav­ior’s blest adopt­ion.

This was lov­ing like a God,
Who in won­drous con­des­cen­sion
Sent His on­ly Son abroad,
To re­veal His blest in­ten­tion:
That the child­ren of per­di­tion
Should be heirs of God’s fru­ition.

Now that we are re­con­ciled
By the Son’s hu­mi­li­ation;
Will not that tri­um­phant Child
Save us by His ex­al­ta­tion?
We, for whom He bore such la­bor,
Are the dar­lings of His fa­vor.

Now we live by faith in Christ,
Eying still His bright ex­am­ple,
Who for us was sac­ri­ficed,
And de­clares our hearts His tem­ple.
Thus we sin­ners boast with plea­sure
Our pos­ses­sion of this trea­sure.

Father, to Thy mer­cy seat
Be our best of thanks di­rect­ed;
Lord, the rage of sin de­feat,
Still as­sault­ing Thine elect­ed:
And for ev­er, by Thy Spir­it,
Fit us to pro­claim Christ’s mer­it.