The Words of the Cross

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do

Author: Thomas Benson Pollock (1870)
Tune: WORDS ON THE CROSS
Published in 6 hymnals

Representative Text

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

"Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

"Woman, behold thy son!"
"Behold thy mother!"

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

"I thirst."

"It is finished."

"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
164

Jesus, in thy dying woes,
Even while thy life-blood flows,
Craving pardon for thy foes:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Savior, for our pardon sue,
When our sins thy pangs renew,
For we know not what we do:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

O may we, who mercy need,
Be like thee in heart and deed,
When with wrong our spirits bleed:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Jesus, pitying the sighs
Of the thief, who near thee dies,
Promising him Paradise:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

May we, in our guilt and shame,
Still thy love and mercy claim,
Calling humbly on thy Name:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

O remember us who pine,
Looking from our cross to thine;
Cheer our souls with hope divine:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Jesus, loving to the end
Her whose heart thy sorrows rend,
And thy dearest human friend:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

May we in thy sorrows share,
And for thee all peril dare,
And enjoy thy tender care:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

May we all thy loved ones be,
All one holy family,
Loving for the love of thee:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Jesus, whelmed in fears unknown,
With our evil left alone,
While no light from heaven is shown:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

When we vainly seem to pray,
And our hope seems far away,
In the darkness be our stay:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Though no Father seem to hear,
Though no light our spirits cheer,
Tell our faith that God is near:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Jesus, in thy thirst and pain,
While thy wounds thy life-blood drain,
Thirsting more our love to gain:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Thirst for us in mercy still;
All thy holy work fulfill:
Satisfy thy loving will:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

May we thirst thy love to know;
Lead us in our sin and woe
Where the healing waters flow:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Jesus, all our ransom paid,
All thy Father's will obeyed,
By thy sufferings perfect made:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Save us in our soul's distress,
Be our help to cheer and bless,
While we grow in holiness:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Brighten all our heavenward way
With an ever holier ray,
Till we pass to perfect day:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.
151

Jesus, all thy labour vast,
All thy woe and conflict past,
Yielding up thy soul at last:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

When the death shades round us lower,
Guard us from the tempter's power,
Keep us in that trial hour:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

May thy life and death supply
Grace to live and grace to die,
Grace to reach the home on high:
Hear us, Holy Jesus.

Amen.

Author: Thomas Benson Pollock

Pollock, Thomas Benson, M.A., was born in 1836, and graduated at Trinity College, Dublin, B.A. 1859, M.A. 1863, where he also gained the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for English Verse in 1855. Taking Holy Orders in 1861, he was Curate of St. Luke's, Leek, Staffordshire; St. Thomas's, Stamford Hill, London; and St. Alban's, Birmingham. Mr. Pollock is a most successful writer of metrical Litanies. His Metrical Litanies for Special Services and General Use, Mowbray, Oxford, 1870, and other compositions of the same kind contributed subsequently to various collections, have greatly enriched modern hymnbooks. To the 1889 Supplemental Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern, Mr. Pollock contributed two hymns, “We are soldiers of Christ, Who is mighty to save… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do
Title: The Words of the Cross
Author: Thomas Benson Pollock (1870)
Meter: 7.7.7.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
Tune Info

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #116

Include 5 pre-1979 instances
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