Icon of Jesus

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), of predecessor bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Words by Samuel Crossman (circa 1624-1683/4), a priest of The Church of England, a royal chaplain, and a Dean of Bristol Cathedral

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1.  My song is love unknown,

My Savior’s love to me,

Love to the loveless shown,

That they might lovely be.

Oh, who am I, that for my sake,

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

2.  He came from his blest throne

Salvation to bestow;

But men made strange, and none

The longed-for Christ would know.

But, oh, my friend, my friend indeed,

Who at my need his life did spend;

Who at my need his life did spend!

3.  Sometimes they strew his way

And his sweet praises sing;

Resounding all the day

Hosannas to their King,

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,

And for his death they thirst and cry.

And for his death they thirst and cry.

4.  Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run,

He gave the blind their sight.

Sweet injuries!  Yet they at these

Themselves displease, and ‘gainst him rise;

Themselves displease, and ‘gainst him rise.

5.  They rise, and needs will have

My dear Lord made away;

A murderer they save,

The prince of life they slay.

Yet cheerful he to suff’ring goes,

That he his foes from thence might free.

6.  In life, no house, no home

My Lord on earth might have;

In death, no friendly tomb

But what a stranger gave.

What may I say?  Heav’n was his home;

But mine the tomb wherein he lay.

7.  Here might I stay and sing–

No story so divine!

Never was love, dear King,

Never was grief like thine.

This is my friend, in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend!

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/thirty-ninth-day-of-lent-good-friday/