Alas and Did My Savior Bleed (At the Cross)

This hymn was penned by Issac Watts, the Father of English Hymns. Watts wrote his hymns thinking as a Bible student, not a musician. That is what we need more of today!

Watts took himself back to the time of the crucifixion and studied all the documents he could find and put himself in the situation as if her were there. He was so moved about the suffering of Jesus, he wrote a rather graphic verse which many hymnals today do not use:

"Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, thine,
and bathed in its own blood,
while all exposed to wrath divine
the glorious Suff'rer stood."

Prolific hymn-writer Fanny Crosby was moved and influenced by Watt's writings. This hymn, in its day, was today's equal for "Just As I Am."

Ralph Hudson completed this hymn, much later, by adding the refrain. The marriage of these two (verse and refrain) make up a widely appreciated hymn for any season in the church today.

1 Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?

Refrain
At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light,
and the burden of my heart rolled away;
it was there by faith I received my sight,
and now I am happy all the day!

2 Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

3 But drops of grief can ne'er repay
the debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'tis all that I can do!