Scripture Verse

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14

Introduction

portrait
Thomas Tiplady (1882–1967)

Words: Tho­mas Tip­la­dy, 1931.

Music: Lon­don­der­ry Ir­ish tune (🔊 pdf nwc).

Background

Music afi­ci­ona­dos will rec­og­nize the tune as the one used with Dan­ny Boy. The mu­sic may have been wri­tten in the 17th Cen­tu­ry by Ro­ry Dall O’Ca­han (al­so known as Ro­ry Dall Mo­ri­son). The tune name prob­ab­ly comes from as­so­ci­ation with the words of the song Lon­don­der­ry Air.

Lyrics

illustration
Vision of the Cross
Raphael (1483–1520)

Above the hills of time the cross is gleam­ing,
Fair as the sun when night has turned to day;
And from it love’s pure light is rich­ly stream­ing,
To cleanse the heart and ban­ish sin away.
To this dear cross the eyes of men are turn­ing,
Today as in the ag­es lost to sight;
And so for Thee, O Christ, men’s hearts are yearn­ing,
As ship­wrecked sea­men yearn for morn­ing light.

The cross, O Christ, Thy won­drous love re­veal­ing,
Awakes our hearts as with the light of morn,
And par­don o’er our sin­ful spir­its steal­ing,
Tells us that we, in Thee, have been re­born.
Like ech­oes to sweet tem­ple bells re­ply­ing
Our hearts, O Lord, make an­swer to Thy love;
And we will love Thee with a love un­dy­ing,
Till we are ga­thered to Thy home above.