Jesus, I will ponder now On Thy holy Passion; With Thy Spirit me endow For such meditation. Grant that I in love and faith May the image cherish Of Thy suffering, pain, and death, That I may not perish. 2. Make me see Thy great distress, Anguish, and affliction, Bonds and stripes and wretchedness And Thy crucifixion; Make me see how scourge and rod, Spear and nails did wound Thee, How for man Thou diedst, O God, Who with thorns had crowned Thee. 3. Yet, O Lord, not thus alone Make me see Thy Passion, But its cause to me make known And its termination. Ah! I also and my sin Wrought Thy deep affliction; This the cause alone hath been Of Thy crucifixion. 4. Grant that I Thy Passion view With repentant grieving Nor Thee crucify anew By unholy living. How could I refuse to shun Every sinful pleasure Since for me God’s only Son Suffered without measure? 5. If my sins give me alarm And my conscience grieve me, Let Thy cross my fear disarm, Peace of conscience give me. Grant that I may trust in Thee And Thy holy Passion. If His Son so loveth me, God must have compassion. 6. Grant that I may willingly Bear with Thee my crosses, Learning humbleness of Thee, Peace mid pain and losses. May I give Thee love for love. Hear me, O my Savior, That I may in heaven above Sing Thy praise forever. Sigmund von Birken, 1653; A. Crull, tr. 193 L. M. To Thee, Lord Jesus, thanks we give, Who diedst for us that we might live And through Thy holy, precious blood Hast made us righteous before God. 2. We pray Thee, O true God and Man, Who wast for our offenses slain: Save us from everlasting death And cheer us when we yield our breath. 3. Defend us, Lord, from sin and shame; Help us by Thine almighty name To bear our crosses patiently, To trust in Thy great agony, 4. And thence the full assurance gain That Thou wilt e’er our Friend remain And not forsake us in our strife Until we enter into life. Chr. Fischer, c. 1568; A. Crull, tr., a. 194 8, 7, 8, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8 Jesus, grant that balm and healing In Thy holy wounds I find, Every hour that I am feeling Pains of body and of mind. Should some evil thought upstart, Let Thy cross defend my heart, Show the peril and from sinning Keep me ere its first beginning.