O Sacred Head - Music & Poetry

I love the old, old hymns of the Church. True, old is not necessarily better than new - just as new is not automatically better than old. But there's something to be said for old hymns that linger after decades and centuries. These are the 1% of the 1%, the cream of the crop, the tried and true.

When I sing old hymns, I sing with the profound realization that hundreds, thousands, and millions, both living and long gone, have sung them with me through the ages. They are proof that some things never change, least of all the nature of man and the faithfulness of God.

Public domain image c/o Bing search

Here's one old song that I really like, both musically and lyrically. Probably the most popular stanza in this hymn is this:

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee. (my favorite line)

But you really should let the preceding verses take you into this state. 

Like many others, the modern version of this hymn has been shortened. The entire work (11 stanzas!) is worth a look or two though, and is happily still published here.