The Seven Words on the Cross

Brother in Christ! thy heart pre­pare

Gird up thy loins

and mount with me

In soul yon blood-stained heights

to share

The sight which an­gels won­der­ing see;

Hear on this spot of ho­ly ground

Thy Sav­ior’s dy­ing words re­sound

And take to thee their strength di­vine;

For they can rich­est so­lace lend

Through life—yea

and when life shall end

Such on­ly com­fort shall be thine.

O lov­ing heart! O pi­ty­ing eyes

Such look that on His mur­der­ers threw!

Forgive

amidst His pain He cries

They know not

Fa­ther

what they do.

Lover of men

Thy sup­pli­ant pray­er

Ascends for those who nail Thee there

Who on Thy grief with mock­er­ies gaze.

O man

by veng­eful pass­ions driv­en

Behold thy bright ex­am­ple giv­en

And pray as thy Re­deem­er prays.

What pat­tern of af­fec­tion large

When

rising thou­sand pangs ab­ove

He re­com­mends the fi­li­al charge

To the dis­ci­ple of His love!

Must I my own be­loved ones see

Weep round my dy­ing bed for me

This word shall sweet­est com­fort bring;

To Him

whose lat­est man­date kind

Cared for the friends He left be­hind

Shall those I leave for suc­cor cling.

Ho! sin-sick souls

dis­pel your fears!

Trust and be saved

in Christ con­fide:

Hear how the world’s Re­deem­er cheers

The con­trite sin­ner by His side.

He saith

con­sol­ing

Thou shalt be

Today in para­dise with Me;

Such light at death’s dark gate be mine!

So may I hear Thy strength­en­ing voice;

Such watch­word sweet my soul re­joice

When in the last dread strife I join.

How sharp the sin-av­eng­ing rod

That urged Him

hang­ing on the tree

Loudly to cry

My God

My God

Wherefore hast Thou for­sak­en Me?

Yet thus

in na­ture’s weak­est hour

When dark­ness o’er His soul hath pow­er

His heart’s firm trust is un­for­got.

I too the cup of grief shall drain;

My sink­ing soul shall cry

through pain

O God

my God

for­sake me not!