Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14). 

This very familiar verse was the basis for the very familiar hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts. Isaac Watts is considered the father of the English hymn; before him, there weren’t too many hymns’ writers. And this hymn is considered his masterpiece.

“When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.”

Issac Watts was born in a Christian home, and at the age of twenty-four he preached his first sermon, but before that, he was very popular to write hymns, for his own church at that time, Above Bar Congregational Church.

“Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.”

This hymn became very popular to be used during the Lord’s Supper celebration, because it has a very clear message about the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a powerful line on this second stanza, where we can read or sing, “Save in the death of Christ, my God.”!

On March 8, 1702, Isaac Watts became the pastor of Mark Lane church, but a year after the church called Samuel Price of Wales to help Watts in the pastoral ministry because Isaac Watts became very ill. Nevertheless, he continued preaching and with Samuel’s help, their little dying church, became a large church, growing so much that they have to move to a different location to have a new house of worship.

“See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?”

This wonderful hymn had a different title at that time. The original name was, “Crucifixion to the World, by the Cross of Christ.” This hymn became very popular in England and in the rest of the world where this hymn has been translated or sung. Even Charles Wesley, another famous hymn writer, said that he would rather have written it than all his own hymns.

Let us make our own words the last stanza of this hymn.
“Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
​
In His service,
Israel