What Wondrous Love Is This

1. What wondrous love is this? 

O my soul, O my soul! 

What wondrous love is this, O my soul? 

What wondrous love is this? 

Which caused the Lord of bliss To bear the dreadful curse, For my soul. 

 2. When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down, 

When I was sinking down, sinking down, When I was sinking down,

 Beneath God's awful frown, Christ laid aside his crown For my soul.  

3. When I began to pray for my soul, for my soul, 

When I began to pray for my soul, When I began to pray, 

Thus the word of God did say, Christ is the truth and the way, For thy soul.  

4. He shed his heavenly light in my soul, in my soul, 

He shed his heavenly light in my soul, He shed his heavenly light,

 To disperse the gloom of night, Now it shines with radiance bright, In my soul. 

J.Stamp 1845 

Be Thou My Vision

1. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
   Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
   Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
   Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
2. Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
   I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
   Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
   Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
3. Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
   Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
   Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tow’r:
   Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
4. Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
   Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
   Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
   High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
5. High King of Heaven, my victory won,
   May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
   Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall,
   Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Dallan Forgaill's text speaks for itself.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

1. O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
   Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
   O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
   Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.
2. What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
   Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
   Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
   Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
3. What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
   For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
   O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
   Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.
4. Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
   Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
   Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
   My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Penned by Bernard of Clairvaux in 1153. Longing to behold the Savior - clinging to the cross.

Fairest Lord Jesus

1. Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
   O Thou of God and man the Son,
   Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
   Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.
2. Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
   Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
   Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
   Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
3. Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,
   And all the twinkling starry host;
   Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
   Than all the angels heav’n can boast.
4. All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
   Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
   None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
   Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
5. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
   Son of God and Son of Man!
   Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
   Now and forevermore be Thine.

German Jesuits, pub.1677 tr. by Joseph A. Seiss, 1873 . This hymn is my favorite. Rich in displaying the beauty of Christ in words.

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

1. Jesus, keep me near the cross,
   There a precious fountain—
   Free to all, a healing stream—
   Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
   • Refrain:
     In the cross, in the cross,
     Be my glory ever;
     Till my raptured soul shall find
     Rest beyond the river.
2. Near the cross, a trembling soul,
   Love and Mercy found me;
   There the bright and morning star
   Sheds its beams around me.
3. Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
   Bring its scenes before me;
   Help me walk from day to day,
   With its shadows o’er me.
4. Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
   Hoping, trusting ever,
   Till I reach the golden strand,
   Just beyond the river.

Hymns like this are precious and life giving. Fanny Crosby thanks for using God's gift to encourage us all.