Scripture Verse

An anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19

Introduction

Words: Jo­hann A. Rothe, in Christ-Ca­tho­lisch­es Singe- und Bet-Büch­lein, by Ni­ko­laus L. von Zin­zen­dorf, 1727 (Ich habe nun den Grund ge­fun­den). Com­po­site trans­la­tion.

Music: O dass ich tau­send Zung­en Jo­hann B. Kö­nig, 1738 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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

Lyrics

Now I have found the firm foun­da­tion
Which holds mine an­chor ev­er sure;
’Twas laid be­fore the world’s cre­ation
In Christ my Sav­ior’s wounds se­cure;
Foundation which un­moved shall stay
When Heav’n and earth will pass away.

It is that mer­cy ne­ver end­ing
Which hu­man wis­dom far tran­scends,
Of Him who, lov­ing arms ex­tend­ing,
To wretch­ed sin­ners con­des­cends;
Whose heart with pi­ty still doth break
Whether we seek Him or for­sake.

Our ru­in God hath not in­tend­ed,
For our sal­va­tion He hath yearned;
For this His Son to earth des­cend­ed
And then to Heav’n again re­turned;
For this so pa­tient ev­er­more
He knocketh at our heart’s closed door.

O depth of love, to me re­veal­ing
The sea where my sins dis­ap­pear!
In Christ my wounds find per­fect heal­ing,
There is no con­dem­na­tion here;
For Je­sus’ blood through earth and skies
Forever Mer­cy! Mer­cy! cries.

I ne­ver will for­get this cry­ing;
In faith I’ll trust it all my days,
And when o’er all my sins I’m sigh­ing,
Into the Fa­ther’s heart I’ll gaze;
For there is al­ways to be found
Free mer­cy with­out end and bound.

Though I be robbed of ev­ery plea­sure
That makes my soul and bo­dy glad
And be de­prived of earth­ly trea­sure
And be for­sak­en, lone, and sad,
Though my de­sire for help seem vain,
His mer­cy shall with me re­main.

Though earth­ly tri­als should op­press me
And cares from day to day in­crease;
Though earth’s vain things should sore dis­tress me
And rob me of my Sav­ior’s peace;
Though I be brought down to the dust,
Still in His mer­cy I will trust.

When all my deeds I am re­view­ing,
The deeds that I ad­mire the most,
I find in all my thought and do­ing
That there is naught where­of to boast.
Yet this sweet com­fort shall abide—
In mer­cy I can still con­fide.

Let mer­cy cause me to be will­ing
To bear my lot and not to fret.
While He my rest­less heart is still­ing,
May I His mer­cy not for­get!
Come weal, come woe, my heart to test,
His mer­cy is my on­ly rest.

I’ll stand upon this firm foun­da­tion
As long as I on earth re­main;
This shall en­gage my me­di­ta­tion
While I the breath of life re­tain;
And then, when face to face with Thee,
I’ll sing of mer­cy, great and free.