Robert Lowry (1826-1899), the Philadelphia-born author and composer of this hymn, was a popular Baptist preacher and educator who served churches in Pennsylvania, New York City and Plainfield, NJ. He became known for his gospel songs while ministering in Brooklyn, collaborating often with William H. Doane in producing gospel song collections Among his most famous gospel compositions are “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” and “Shall We Gather at the River”. “Low in the Grave He Lay,” called “Christ Arose” in many hymnals, was composed in 1874 while Lowry was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lewisburg, PA. It first appeared in the collection Brightest and Best (1875) under the title “He is not here, but risen—Luke 24:5.” When it was included in music evangelist Ira D. Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos (1875), the song became very popular in the Moody-Sankey revivals. From that point it appeared in a number of 19th-century British and American hymnals¹. My church usually always end up singing this one on Resurrection Sunday!

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Saviour,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!

Refrain
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever,
With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed,
Jesus my Saviour;
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!

Refrain

Death cannot keep its Prey,
Jesus my Saviour;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!

Refrain

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-nineteenth-century-hymn-celebrates-the-resurrection

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As a young sailor in the Royal Navy, Samuel Medley led a selfish and sinful life. At the age of 21 he was badly wounded in a sea fight and a doctor told him that his leg would be amputated. He knew he didn’t deserve God’s mercy but he prayed earnestly. Before the operation, his leg healed surprisingly to the doctor. He returned home, where a godly grandfather read him a sermon by Isaac Watts. Medley fell to his knees and repented and was converted. He moved to London where he became a Baptist minister. He also wrote 200 hymns for his church, including this one. This hymn title comes from the book of Job who proclaimed in the midst of his pain “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”¹. I’m sure there were some followers of Jesus who held this same promise close in their hearts on the Saturday before his Resurrection.

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What joy this blest assurance gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
he lives, my ever-living Head!

He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives exalted, throned above;
He lives to rule his church in love.

He lives to bless me with his love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Saviour, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

¹page 87 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

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This hymn was written by Cecil Frances Alexander (d.1895) and it first appeared in Hymns for Little Children (1848) to teach the meaning of the Apostles’ Creed. Here, ‘suffered under Pontius Pilate’, is one of many hymns written in response to the remark of one of the children that he couldn’t understand the Catechism. She wrote over 200 hymns, characterised by their ability to ‘make theology picturesque’¹.

There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains he had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiv’n,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to heav’n,
Saved by his precious blood.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heav’n, and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has he loved,
And we must love him too,
And trust in his redeeming blood,
And try his works to do.

¹music.churchofscotland.org.uk/hymn/380-there-is-a-green-hill-far-away

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I love this stripped back song by Sovereign Grace; although the major themes of this song are the Incarnation making it a fitting Christmas song, the use of Lamb of God, and the description of Christ bearing our sin and reigning over His foes, allows it to fit in well with Easter too 🙂 Enjoy!

O Lamb of God, all worlds obeyed Your will
From dark and void their being came
O Lamb of God, Your glories echo still
Creation sings its Maker’s praise
Eternal God, One with the Father
Before all time You dwelt in love
Eternal God, unlike all others
Yet You descended unto us

O Lamb of God, in filthy manger lay
In humble dress You entered earth
O Lamb of God, Creator bows to save
The needy ones, helpless from birth
Incarnate Word, gift of the Father
To take our place and bear our sin
Incarnate Word led to the slaughter
You conquered death and rose again

O Lamb of God now reigning on the throne
The Judge of all, faithful and true
O Lamb of God, You’ll make Your power known
When all Your foes receive their due
Victorious King, when history’s fading
You’ll call Your Bride to take her place
Victorious King, Creation’s waiting
For Your redeemed to see Your face

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Edmond L. Budry wrote “A Toi la Gloire,” “Thine Be the Glory,” in 1884, reportedly after the death of his first wife, Marie de Vayenborg. It was first published in Chants Evangeliques in Lausanne, Switzerland, 1885. It was translated into English in 1925 by Richard B. Hoyle, and appeared in Cantate Domino Hymnal, 1925, the hymnal of the World Student Christian Federation¹.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb.
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let His church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life!!
Life is nought without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

¹songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/thine-be-the-glory

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Christopher Porteous was born on 8 November 1935 and he qualified as a solicitor (lawyer) in 1960. He was active at Anglican church Christ Church Beckenham and wrote the history of that church. Some 30 of his hymns are in print, written from 1970s onwards, featuring in Scripture Union, Jubilate and other books, with his best-known text being published in several hymnals. He has a concern for the current lack of reverence in worship and ‘the poor quality of some contemporary choruses.¹

He gave his life in selfless love,
for sinners once he came;
he had no stain of sin himself
but bore our guilt and shame:
he took the cup of pain and death,
his blood was freely shed;
we see his body on the cross,
we share the living bread.

He did not come to call the good
but sinners to repent;
it was the lame, the deaf, the blind
for whom his life was spent:
to heal the sick, to find the lost
it was for such he came,
and round his table all may come
to praise his holy name.

They heard him call his Father’s name
‘Tis finished!’ was his cry;
like them we have forsaken him
and left him there to die:
the sins that crucified him then
are sins his blood has cured;
the love that bound him on a cross
our freedom has ensured.

His body broken once for us
is glorious now above;
the cup of blessing we receive,
a sharing of his love:
as in his presence we partake,
his dying we proclaim
until the hour of majesty
when Jesus comes again.

¹praise.org.uk/hymnauthor/porteous-christopher-selwyn/

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Today’s hymn is written by Isaac Watts in 1707, and is one of the most loveliest, gospel saturated poems you will read this week!

Alas and did my Saviour bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that Sacred Head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the Mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear Cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
‘Tis all that I can do.

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Today is the Lord’s Day and also traditionally marks Holy Week, stretching from the Sunday before Christ’s death (Palm Sunday) to the day of Easter (Resurrection Sunday). This week we will be looking at songs that would fit in well with this time in the church calendar! The other of today’s hymn has been debated, but it is usually attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153). The Latin text consisted of seven parts, identifying a different part of the body (feet, knees, hands, sides, breast, heart and head), intended to be sung each day of Holy Week¹.

O sacred Head now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns,
Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!

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 Saviour!
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

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.

My Shepherd, now receive me;
My Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me
With words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
To heavenly joys above.

My Saviour, be Thou near me
When death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
Forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
Oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-o-sacred-head-now-wounded-1

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