At The Cross

© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

If faith did not exist apart from intellect, clever people would have a better hope of salvation than stupid people.

-          R.H. Benson, 1871-1914.

   The Cross at Calvary stood at the crossroads of history.  Where the Cross, the Universal Marker of the Maker of Heaven and Earth, once stood, after two millenniums still points to the spot where Christ had died for the sins of the World.  It was also on the Cross where Jesus of Nazareth, with outstretched arms, took the hand of man and the Hand of God and reunited them again as friends for the first time since the fall of mankind.  It was at the Cross where I first saw the light, and the burdens of my heart rolled away!  

   This song, At The Cross, and especially the CHORUS part, featured strongly during the tent-revivals and gospel crusades of the fifties onward toward the millennium in 2000.   Although contemporary praise and worship songs have sidelined it a little as far as corporate congregational singing is concerned (which is quite understandable) it nevertheless remains a firm favourite.

YouTube

At The Cross

(Original Verses: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748/Chorus: Ralph E. Hudson, 1843-1901)

Alas! And did my Saviour bleed?

And did my Sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide

And shut his glories in,

When Christ, the Mighty Maker died

For man the creature’s sin.

But drops of grief can never repay

The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away …

'Tis all that I can do.

CHORUS: At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away;

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!

Piet Stassen

eLiterature/eLiteratuur:

1. Scribd Publishing Site:  www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
2. eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)  
3. eBook:  'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
4. eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
5. eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
6. eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
7. eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
8. eBoek:  'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
9. eBoek:  'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
10. eBoek:  'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
11. eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable):  Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
12. eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)

Bibliography

1.  Peterson, John V. et al (1968) Singspiration® Great Hymns Of The Faith. ‘At The Cross’. Zondervan Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan.

2.  Hymntime. 'Ralph E. Hudson'. Accessed At <http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/b/l/e/blessedb.htm> [online] 2013.

3.  Wikipedia. ‘Isaac Watts’. Accessed At <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Watts> [online] 2013.