1 Jesus, I will ponder now
on your holy passion;
with your Spirit me endow
for such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
may the image cherish
of your suff'ring, pain, and death
that I may not perish.
2 Make me see your great distress,
anguish, and affliction,
bonds and stripes and wretchedness
and your crucifixion;
make me see how scourge and rod,
spear and nails did wound you,
how for them you died, O God,
who with thorns had crowned you.
3 Yet, O Lord, not thus alone
make me see your passion,
but its cause to me make known
and its termination.
Ah! I also and my sin
wrought your deep affliction;
this indeed the cause has been
of your crucifixion.
4 Grant that I your passion view
with repentant grieving;
let me not bring shame to you
by unholy living.
How could I refuse to shun
ev'ry sinful pleasure
since for me God's only Son
suffered without measure?
5 If my sins give me alarm
and my conscience grieve me,
let your cross my fear disarm,
peace of conscience give me.
Help me see forgiveness won
by your holy passion.
If for me he slays his Son,
God must have compassion!
6 Graciously my faith renew;
help me bear my crosses,
learning humbleness from you,
peace mid pain and losses.
May I give you love for love!
Hear me, O my Savior,
that I may in heav'n above
sing your praise forever.
Source: Christian Worship: Hymnal #420
August Crull was born January 27, 1845 in Rostock, Germany, where his father, Hofrat Crull, was a lawyer. He was educated at the Gymnasium in Rostock, and at Concordia College in St. Louis and Fort Wayne where he graduated in 1862. His father died soon after he began studying at the Gymnasium. His mother then married Albert Friedrich Hoppe, who later became the editor of the St. Louis edition of Luther's Works. In 1865, Crull graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He became assistant pastor at Trinity Church in Milwaukee and also served as Director of the Lutheran High School. Later he was pastor of the Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From 1873 to 1915, he was professor of the German language and literature at Concordia… Go to person page >
Birken, Sigismund von, son of Daniel Betulius or Birken, pastor at Wildstein, near Eger, in Bohemia, was born at Wildstein, May 5, 1626. In 1629 his father, along with other Evangelical pastors, was forced to flee from Bohemia, and went to Nürnberg. After passing through the Egidien-Gymnasium at Nürnberg Sigismund entered the University of Jena, in 1643, and there studied both Law and Theology, the latter at his father's dying request. Before completing his course in either he returned to Nürnberg, in 1645, and on account of his poetical gifts was there admitted a member of the Pegnitz Shepherd and Flower Order. At the close of 1645 he was appointed tutor at Wolfenbiittel to the Princes of Brunswick-Luneburg, but after a year (during whi… Go to person page >
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