Every other Wednesday I lead a morning prayer meeting for residents in nearby sheltered housing. As we prayed this morning one man who has been attending with us for a little while now, a Scotsman, quoted part of the hymn below - not one I knew. He used to sing it as a solo he told me later. I've discovered it by Canadian Methodist evangelist John M Whyte (1850-1927) from Paris, Ontario. With brother, D A Whyte, he published three hymn collections: Sing Out the Glad News (1885), Songs of Calvary (1889) Battle Songs of the Cross (1901). One writer says Whyte was 'one of the most prolific hymn and tune composers in Canadian musical history, with about 200 to his credit. His texts and music are clearly in the gospel idiom, with vivid imagery and simple harmony such as his The Dripping of the Blood and The Crimson Stream both from Battle Songs.' 
Was it for me, for me alone,
The Saviour left His glorious throne,
The dazzling splendors of the sky?
Was it for me He came to die?
Refrain:
It was for me, yes, all for me,
O love of God, so great, so free,
O wondrous love, I'll shout and sing,
He died for me, my Lord and King!
Was it for me, sweet angel strains
Came floating o'er Judea's plains
That starlit night so long ago?
Was it for me God planned it so?
Was it for me the Saviour said:
"Pillow thy weary, aching head
Trustingly on thy Saviour's breast"?
Was it for me? Can I thus rest?
Was it for me He wept and prayed,
My load of sin before Him laid,
That night within Gethsemane?
Was it for me, that agony?
Was it for me He bowed His head
Upon the cross and freely shed
His precious blood, that crimson tide?
Was it for me the Saviour died?
I think it can be sung to Redemption Ground (Daniel W. Whittle, 1840-1901) or The countless multitude on high (Archibald Rutherford, 19th Century)
4 comments:
We sing this song often during our gospel meetings held on sundays our our church. And everytime this song is sung I can't help but rejoice at the fact that 'It was for me, yes, all for me...He died for me, my Lord and King! Can you say the same? Have you had a moment in your life where you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal saviour? If not the bible says "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" Believe on what? That on the cross he died for you, he died for your sins, so that one day you could be with him in heaven. He became the ultimate sacrifice for you. Saved from what? Saved from eternal seperation from him. Accept him as your saviour give him thanks and then you can say with great joy "It was for me"
Thanks for that. Sorry not to repsond earlier. You can see my testimony elsewhere on the blog.
Thanks for the lyrics of this song. I remember singing this during Easter back in my Christian secondary school. It's a beautiful song. The second to the last verse always makes me cry. Today once I got there singing the tears starting flowing again. I love it and I love the Lord Jesus.
I enjoyed this; it is an old song from a sect church that had its woes, but did have some great hymns; this being one of them. I sang it this morning joyfully. MEN can corrupt God's church with religious legalism, but this song is pure truth. It was for me....and all of them, too. God bless.
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