At the Cross -Isaac Watts; Ref. by Ralph E. Hudson

 

The verses for this hymn written by Isaac Watts first appeared in 1707 in his “Hymns and Spiritual Songs.” The title was taken from the opening line, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?” Watts’ hymns were written as poems and were sung to a variety of tunes; it’s not known what tune was originally sung with this text. The tune that appears in most hymnals today, “Fenwick” (based on an old Scottish melody), was first used in 1800 by its composer, Hugh Wilson.

 

Though the hymn was well-known in Great Britain, it became even more popular in America. Fanny Crosby, the famous blind hymn writer, said that the hymn was instrumental in her conversion. She was attending revival meetings in November of 1850 at the Broadway Tabernacle in New York, seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord.  When they began to sing “Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed?” and came to the words, “Here, Lord, I give myself away,” she realized that she needed to surrender herself completely to the Lord. Calling this her “November Experience,” she said that "for the first time, I realized that I had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other…My very soul was flooded with a celestial light.”

 

In 1885, Ralph E. Hudson set Watts’ words to a new tune, added a refrain, and renamed the hymn “At the Cross.” It first appeared in his “Songs of Peace, and Love and Joy.” Hudson was an American preacher, gospel song singer, and writer. He was active in evangelistic meetings, especially in camp meetings.  He established his own publishing company and produced several gospel song collections. He traveled extensively doing evangelistic work and introducing his music. He had a way of setting the words of well-known hymns to tunes in the gospel song style and often added a refrain of his own, as he did with this song.

 

Hudson realized that Isaac Watts was especially blessed in the way he expressed the saving work of Christ on the cross. Hudson wanted a song that would be more in the camp-meeting tradition, and it’s believed that both the words and music of the refrain for “At the Cross” were adapted from an old camp-meeting favorite. “Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed?” and “At the Cross” appear side-by-side in many hymnals, a reminder that because of God’s love, Jesus died for sinners. Believers should always be grateful for all Jesus did "At The Cross." But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53: 5,6).

 

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