Jesus, I Will Ponder Now

Jesus, I will ponder now
On Your holy passion;

With Your Spirit me endow
For such meditation.

Grant that I in love and faith
May the image cherish

Of Your suff’ring, pain, and death
That I may not perish.

Make me see Your great distress,
Anguish, and affliction,

Bonds and stripes and wretchedness
And Your crucifixion:

Make me see how scourge and rod,
Spear and nails did wound You,

How for them You died, O God,
Who with thorns had crowned You.

Yet, O Lord, not thus alone
Make me see Your passion,

But its cause to me make known
And its termination.

Ah! I also and my sin
Wrought Your deep affliction;

This indeed the cause has been
Of Your crucifixion.

Grant that I Your passion view
With repentant grieving,

Let me not bring shame to You
By unholy living.

How could I refuse to shun
Ev’ry sinful pleasure

Since for me God’s only Son
Suffered without measure?