Scripture Verse

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Jeremiah 8:22

Introduction

Words: Anne Steele, Po­ems on Sub­jects Chief­ly De­vo­tion­al 1760.

Music: St. Se­pul­chre George Coop­er, 1836. First pub­lished in Chope’s Tune Book, 1862 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Steele or Coop­er (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Deep are the wounds that sin has made;
Where shall the sin­ner find a cure?
In vain, alas, is na­ture’s aid,
The work ex­ceeds all na­ture’s pow­er.

Sin like a rag­ing fe­ver reigns,
With fa­tal strength in ev­ery part;
The dire con­ta­gion fills the veins,
And spreads its poi­son to the heart.

And can no so­ve­reign balm be found,
And is no kind phy­si­cian nigh,
To ease the pain, and heal the wound,
Ere life and hope for­ev­er fly?

There is a great Phy­si­cian near;
Look up, O faint­ing soul, and live;
See, in His heav’n­ly smiles ap­pear
Such ease as na­ture cannot give!

See, in the dy­ing Sav­ior’s blood,
Life, health, and bliss, abun­dant flow!
’Tis on­ly this dear, sac­red flood
Can ease thy pain, and heal thy woe.

Sin throws in vain its point­ed dart,
For here a so­ve­reign cure is found,
A cor­di­al for the faint­ing heart,
A balm for eve­ry pain­ful wound.