Words: , 1830; orig­in­al­ly, it be­gan, “Hast Thou Said, Ex­alt­ed Je­sus?”

Music: Green­ville, from the op­e­ra Le De­vin du Vil­lage (The Vil­lage Sooth­say­er), by Jean-Jacques Rous­seau, 1752.


Thou hast said, exalted Jesus,
“Take thy cross and follow Me”;
Shall the word with terror seize us?
Shall we from the burden flee?
Lord, I’ll take it, Lord, I’ll take it,
And rejoicing, follow Thee.

While this liquid tomb surveying,
Emblem of my Savior’s grave,
Shall I shun its brink, betraying
Feelings worthy of a slave?
No, I’ll enter, no, I’ll enter;
Jesus entered Jordan’s wave.

Blest the sign which thus reminds me,
Savior, of Thy love for me;
But more blest the love that binds me
In its deathless bonds to Thee;
Oh, what pleasure, oh, what pleasure,
Buried with my Lord to be!

Fellowship with Him possessing,
Let me die to earth and sin;
Let me rise t’enjoy the blessing
Which the faithful soul shall win;
May I ever, may I ever
Follow where my Lord has been.