Scripture Verse

Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me. Matthew 25:40

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 188: Re­liev­ing Christ in His poor saints.

Music: Eag­ley James Walch, 1860 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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

Lyrics

Jesus, my Lord, how rich Thy grace!
Thy boun­ties how com­plete!
How shall I count the match­less sum?
How pay the migh­ty debt?

High on a throne of ra­di­ant light
Dost Thou ex­alt­ed shine;
What can my po­ver­ty be­stow,
When all the worlds are Thine?

But Thou hast breth­ren here be­low,
The part­ners of Thy grace,
And wilt con­fess their hum­ble names
Before Thy Fa­ther’s face.

In them Thou mayst be clothed and fed,
And vi­sit­ed and cheered,
And in their accents of dis­tress
My Sav­ior’s voice is heard.

Thy face, with re­ver­ence and with love,
I in Thy poor would see;
O ra­ther let me beg my bread,
Than hold it back from Thee.