Scripture Verse

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14–15

Introduction

portrait
John Newton (1725–1807)

Words: John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­iv­er, 1779), Book 2, num­ber 90.

Music: Ham­burg Lo­well Ma­son, 1824. First pub­lished in The Bos­ton Han­del and Hay­dn So­cie­ty Col­lect­ion of Church Mu­sic, third edi­tion, 1825 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

As nee­dles point to­wards the pole,
When touched by the mag­net­ic stone;
So faith in Je­sus, gives the soul
A ten­dency be­fore un­known.

Till then, by blind­ed pas­sions led,
In search of fan­cied good we range;
The paths of dis­ap­point­ment tread,
To no­thing fixed, but love of change.

But when the Ho­ly Ghost im­parts
A know­ledge of the Sav­ior’s love;
Our wan­d’ring, wea­ry, rest­less hearts,
Are fixed at once, no more to move.

Now a new prin­ci­ple takes place,
Which guides and an­i­mates the will;
This love, an­oth­er name for grace,
Constrains to good, and bars from ill.

By love’s sure light we soon per­ceive
Our nob­lest bliss, and pro­per end;
And glad­ly ev­ery id­ol leave,
To love and serve our Lord and friend.

Thus borne along by faith and hope,
We feel the Sav­ior’s words are true;
And I, if I be lift­ed up,
Will draw the sin­ner up­ward too.