When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

Isaac Watts first published "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707). Designated a communion hymn, it appeared under the heading "Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ; Gal. 6:14." One of the first English-language hymns to use the word "I" and to focus directly on personal religious experience, "When I Survey" holds an important place in the history of hymnody. It offers an example of how Watts, sometimes called the father of English hymnody, enlarged the boundaries of English sacred song beyond the metrical psalms to include freer verse that readily lent itself to new musical settings. Watts fused two traditions of sacred song that had been developing side-by-side-metrical psalms and hymns-in texts characterized by unusual clarity and force in the choice of words.

The son of a Congregationalist minister, Watts was born in 1674 in Southampton, England. He followed his father into the ministry, accepting appointment to Mark Lane Chapel in London in 1702. His health broke soon after, forcing Watts to retire from public life. Until his death in 1748, he fulfilled ministerial duties as possible and devoted much time to study and writing. His books gained him wide repute, but Watts regarded his hymns as his most enduring contribution to the church. "When I Survey" is generally cited as the best these, though others remain in use as well.

In its first publication in 1707, "When I Survey" had five stanzas. Its second line originally read "Where the young Prince of Glory died." In an enlarged edition of the hymnal in 1709, Watts changed the second line to the familiar "On which the Prince of Glory died" and bracketed the fourth stanza for optional use:

His dying Crimson, like a Robe,
Spreads o'er his Body on the Tree;
Then am I dead to all the Globe
And all the Globe is dead to me.

In 1757, George Whitefield included "When I Survey" in the Supplement to his popular Collection of Hymns. The next year, "When I Survey" first appeared in a hymnal published in the United States--The Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New Testament (1758). Since then, it has been found in the hymnals of American denominations as varied as traditional Protestants, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Unitarians and the Assemblies of God. Widely acclaimed by hymnologists, "When I Survey" is seldom altered beyond omitting Watts' fourth stanza (considered too gory) or making a few minor changes such as stanza 2, line 2 "Save in the Cross"; stanza 3, line 2 "Love flow mingled"; stanza 4, line 2 "That were a tribute" or "That were an offering."

The inclusion of "When I Survey" in the milestone British hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861) cemented its marriage in British usage to the tune ROCKINGHAM (also known as COMMUNION and CATON). The hymn had first appeared to ROCKINGHAM in 1833. ROCKINGHAM derived from an earlier tune named TUNBRIDGE, published anonymously in 1778 in Supplement to Psalmody in Miniature, a collection edited by Aaron Williams. Organist Edward Miller arranged ROCKINGHAM for use in his The Psalms of David for the Use of Parish Churches (1790). Miller named his tune for his friend and patron, the Marquis of Rockingham-a three-time Whig prime minister. In American hymnals, "When I Survey" is generally set to an arrangement of HAMBURG, a tune adapted from an old Gregorian Chant by the prominent 19th-century American music educator, Lowell Mason.

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• cross
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• hymn
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• religious
• christian
• traditional
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[markpianoman]

Personally I think the goal of the Catholic church could be none other than to soften and dilute the meaning of the original text.

[cuntrymuzicfan]

Great song. The last verse is my favorite

[thebigJM92]

The words are so powerful in this hymn, one of the best in terms of lyrics without a doubt.

[Planet266]

@pello777 I know muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but nothing else... OK, so what do they make of Jesus' prophecy that after him would come many false Christs and False prophets, leading the myriads astray, even to the elect?

[Planet266]

other versions change 'forbid it Lord' to 'Far be the thought'

[inhimalone1]

I like this very much, it blessed my soul when I listened to it!

God Bless!

[johnbpullin1]

@mottledbrain Who are all these negative people and why are you always on here if you don't like it? Get a grip and a life man.

[shailum2]

Love God to the point of hating the world

[printerudell]

Thank you for posting this. When I was a small child, my mum used to tell the story of coming home from school one day and her own mum asked what hymn did you sing in school today, and my mum answered When Ice Was Laid Upon the Cross. We always got a laugh out of that story. And as it happens, this is one of my favourite hymns. Again, thank you so much for the hymns and videos you post.

[myramike1996]

None of this is written in the Koran. You have obviously not read it. I have. Read it; It says that Christians and Jews are "men of the book", The book being the Old Testemant, and that it is forbidden to lay a finger upon them. I can quote you chapter and verse on this if you wish. If you're determined to hate muslims, though, whats the point?

[pello777]

@myramike1996 Which part? The one where it tells Muslims to smite off the finger tips of non-believers? Or the one where Jews and Christians are reffered to as apes and pigs? Or where they say Jesus was NEVER crucified, the central theme of the Christian Faith. I am surprised that you who claim to be a christian thinks highly of the Koran after all it commands its followers to do against non-believers

[myramike1996]

Read the Koran and you'l find out.