At the Cross
One of the 94 hymns we sing together at Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church on the Gold Coast. Browse the full hymnbook.
Lyrics
Verse 1
Alas! And did my Saviour bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
Chorus
At the cross, at the cross
Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Verse 2
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Verse 3
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.
Verse 4
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
Verse 5
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.
Behind the Hymn
"At the Cross" combines the work of two of the most important figures in English and American hymnody. The verses were written by Isaac Watts in 1707, the "Father of English Hymnody," as part of his hymn "Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed" — a meditation on the crucifixion that asks the worshipper to consider the enormity of Christ's sacrifice for undeserving sinners. Watts was a Nonconformist minister in London whose revolutionary idea — that congregations should sing newly composed hymns based on Scripture rather than only metrical psalms — transformed Protestant worship forever. The beloved chorus, "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away," was added by Ralph E. Hudson in 1885, creating the version most widely sung today. Hudson was a Civil War veteran turned music publisher and evangelist in Ohio who added refrains to many classic hymns to make them more suitable for revival meetings. The marriage of Watts' profound theological verse with Hudson's experiential, testimony-driven chorus created a hymn that speaks to both the mind and the heart. The imagery of burdens rolling away at the cross has resonated with generations of believers who have experienced the transforming power of the gospel.