Scripture Verse

The blood of the everlasting covenant. Hebrews 13:20

Introduction

portrait
Erik L. Pontoppidan (1698–1764)

Words: Er­ik L. Pon­top­pi­dan, in Bröd­ra­för­sam­ling­en (Co­pen­ha­gen: 1748) (Om no­gen mig nu spörge vil om grund til sal­igh­ed). Trans­lat­ed from Da­nish to Eng­lish by A. Sam­uel Wall­gren (1885–1940). The orig­in­al text be­gins stan­za 5 of a long­er hymn that starts O! hwad jeg længes hier­tel­ig.

Music: Sa­lig­hets­grund Swed­ish folk me­lo­dy, Si­ons Nya Sång­er, 1874 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a bet­ter pho­to of Wall­gren,

portrait
A. Samuel Wallgren (1885–1940)

Lyrics

If asked where­on I rest my claim
To full sal­va­tion’s joy,
If no­thing more I need to name,
Or oth­er words em­ploy,
Besides our Sav­ior’s blood and wounds,
To me all-sa­tis­fy­ing grounds;
I an­swer then, My claim is good!
’Tis based on Je­sus’ blood.

This is my hope’s foun­da­tion firm,
Which ev­er shall en­dure;
Yea, at the end of life’s brief term,
I’ll rest there­on se­cure,
And dread­ed death shall lose its sting,
As of my Sav­ior’s wounds I sing;
His pre­cious blood shall be the key
That op­ens Heav’n for me.