Scripture Verse

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18–19

Introduction

portrait
Alfonso M. de’ Liguori
1696–1787

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Al­fon­so M. de’ Li­guo­ri (1696–1787) (Vi­va! vi­va! Ge­su, Che per mio be­ne). Pub­lished in Rac­col­ta di Ora­zi­o­ni e Pie Op­ere col­le In­dul­gen­ze, by Tel­es­e­pho­ems Gal­li. Trans­lat­ed from Ita­li­an to Eng­lish by Ed­ward Cas­wall in Hymns for the Use of the Birm­ing­ham Ora­to­ry, 1857.

Music: Be­mer­ton (Cas­wall) Fried­rich Fil­itz, 1847 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

illustration
First Mourning
William Bouguereau (1825–1905)

Lyrics

Glory be to Je­sus,
Who, in bitter pains,
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!

Grace and life eter­nal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torments
Doth the world redeem.

There the fainting spirit
Drinks of life her fill;
There as in a fountain
Laves herself at will.

O, the blood of Christ! it
Soothes the Fa­ther’s ire;
Opes the gate of Hea­ven;
Quells eter­nal fire.

Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Je­sus
For our pardon cries.

Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion
Terror struck departs.

Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts, rejoicing,
Make their glad reply.

Lift we then our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!