Thursday, September 15, 2016

A hymn for Thursday

Arise, My Soul, Arise

You can hear it here This is rather quiet, and the recording begins on the second stanza, but very nice

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

I am now reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742.
Music: Lenox, Lewis Edson, 1782

Charles Wesley wrote that last stanza, “My God is reconciled...” and I would often change it to "I am now". I don’t believe God needed to be reconciled, we did. The sin was ours, the fault was ours, the problem was ours. We were the ones who needed to be reconciled, have the enmity removed. There was no fault or blame on God's part.

This may be the  original tune

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