This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
A lonely cross
A lonely cross
On a hill a lonely cross there stood,
where a man was once condemned.
They flogged and scourged him, nailed his hands on wood,
hung him high, and watched his end.
How could this agony of pain,
with their mocking taunts and jeers,
bring healing, peace, and hope of gain
down to me across the years?
O Jesus, you have saved me,
your death has met the price:
for all my sins and evils
are paid for by your sacrifice.
In that painful death at soldiers' hands
a divine exchange you made:
you gave your life to meet the law's demands
which required a death be paid.
For all my selfish deeds, my strife,
and the good I've failed to do
made me unfit for heav'nly life,
and condemned me, but for you.
O Jesus, you have saved me,
your death has met the price:
for all my sins and evils
are paid for by your sacrifice.
Was it right that you should meet the cost
of my sins, my hates and flaws?
Surely it's me who should be dead and lost
for neglect of righteous laws?
But when you died upon that tree,
then you bought me for your own.
Your covenant now covers me:
I belong to you alone.
O Jesus, you have saved me,
your death has met the price:
for all my sins and evils
are paid for by your sacrifice.
Words and music copyright © John Hartley 2005.
Story behind the song
This is a song about the meaning of the cross. In a way it is inspired by the traditional "And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood?" - the same question, of what possible relevance a death so long ago and far away could be to me, is at its heart, expressed in the second half of verse 1. I wanted to express the doctrine of substitutionary atonement in verse 2, and explore the question of whether it could be just for a substitute to bear my punishment in verse 3 (the answer is that it is just, because he and I are now linked by his having purchased me and made me his own). And I also wanted to convey something of the horror of the method of execution by crucifixion, made all the worse for Jesus because he was flogged before it.
John Hartley
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.