Christ, the life of all the living,
Christ, the death of death, our foe,
Who, Thyself for me once giving
To the darkest depths of woe:
Through Thy suff'rings, death and merit
Life eternal I inherit.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
Thou, ah, Thou, hast taken on Thee
Bonds and stripes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God!
Thus didst Thou my soul deliver
From the bonds of sin forever.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
Thou hast borne the smiting only
That my wounds might all be whole;
Thou hast suffered, sad and lonely,
Rest to give my weary soul;
Yea, the curse of God enduring,
Blessing unto me securing.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
LSB 420:1-3
3 comments:
"Thousand, Thousand" - some more on that concept below:
"The acceptable time. What is this? That of the Gift, that of the Grace, when it is appointed not that an account should be required of our sins nor penalty exacted; but besides being delivered, that we should also enjoy ten thousand goods, righteousness, sanctification, and all the rest . . . Wherefore also He calls it acceptable, because He both accepted those that had transgressed in ten thousand things, and not acceded merely, but advanced them to the highest honor; just as when a monarch arrives, it is a time not for judgment, but for grace and pardon. Wherefore also He calls it acceptable." ( John Chrysostom, Homily 12)
I used to like this hymn, until Emma was born. Now it is much more special and dearly loved. I had chosen that hymn for a Sunday in Lent '03... but Laura and I didn't get to sing it with the congregation because Emma decided to be born that Sunday. So, holding my beautiful little firstborn in my trembling arms, I sang this hymn to her. Truly, "Thousand, Thousand thanks shall be dearest Jesus unto Thee."
This is one of my favorite hymns from TLH, and the church is blessed that LSB has restored this hymn's translation back to the king's English, as well as all seven of it's verses! Six of them close with, "Thousand, thousand thanks shall be dearest Jesus unto Thee." The final stanza, though, has these words, "For that last triumphant cry, and shall praise Thee, Lord, on high!"
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