ELH 331

A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
And laden with the sins of earth,
None else the burden sharing!
Goes patient on, grows weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer;
Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”

This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great Friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
“Go forth, My Son,” the Father saith,
“And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation.”

“Yea, Father, yea, most willingly
I’ll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree,
I do what Thou demandest.”
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
The Father offers up His Son;
The Son, content, descendeth!
O Love, how strong Thou art to save!
Thou layest Him within the grave
Whose might the boulders rendeth.

Upon the cross Thou off’rest Him,
Nails, spear, deep wounds bestowing;
Thou slaught’rest Him e’en as a lamb,
His soul and veins are flowing;
From veins it is the crimson flood
Of His most holy, precious blood,
From soul His mighty sighing.
O dearest Lamb, what shall I do
To show Thee my devotion true
For such great good supplying?

9 Of death I am no more afraid,
New life from Thee is flowing;
Thy cross affords me cooling shade
When day’s hot sun is glowing.
When by my grief I am oppressed,
On Thee my weary soul shall rest
And o’er grief’s ills so conquer.
And when beneath life’s stormy woe
My ship is driven to and fro
So art Thou then my Anchor.