KJV Devos: Hymn "I Gave My Life For Thee"

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,
That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne
I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee, down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?

2 Corinthians 5:14
John 10:17-18
Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Frances R. Havergal - Lyrics/1836 - 1879
Born: December 14, 1836, Astley, Worcestershire, Eng­land.
Died: June 3, 1879, Caswall Bay, near Swansea, Wales.
Buried: Astley, Worcestershire, England, the city of her birth. On her tomb­stone was the Scripture verse she claimed as her own: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Philip P. Bliss - Composer/1838 - 1876
Born: July 9, 1838, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
Died: December 29, 1876, Ashtabula, Ohio. Bliss and his wife died in a tragic train wreck caused by a bridge collapse. He survived the initial impact, but went back into the flames in an unsuccessful a­tempt to rescue his wife.
Buried: The remains retrieved from the Ashtabula disaster were placed in a common grave marked by a cenotaph in the Ashtabula Cemetery. A cenotaph in memory of the Blisses was also erected in the cemetery at Rome, Pennsylvania, July 17, 1877.

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Francis Ridley Havergal was born on December 14, 1836, at Astley, Worcestershire, England. She was the youngest child of the Rev, William Henry Havergal, a minister of the Church of England. Her father was also a noted poet and church musician. Miss Havergal had training in linguistics and music. Although she was a highly educated and cultured, Miss Havergal always maintained a simple faith and confidence in her Lord. It is said that she never wrote a line without first praying over it. Her entire life was characterized by spiritual saintliness. In spite of being always frail in health, she lived an active and productive life until her death at the age of forty-three.

As part of her education, Francis studied in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the art gallery of that city hangs the famous painting by Sternberg, ”Ecce Homo,” a vivid portrayal of Christ, wearing his crown of thorns, before Pilate and the Jewish mob. Beneath the picture are the words, “This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for Me?”

While visiting the museum and seeing the painting, Miss Havergal was humbly moved. After gazing for a considerable time at the painting she took a pencil and scrap paper and quickly wrote the stanzas for this hymn. Later, while visiting her home in England, she again noted the words she had hurriedly scribbled, but felt the poetry was so poor that she tossed the paper into a stove. The paper, is said to have floated out of the flames and landed on the floor, where it was later found by her father. He encouraged her to keep the words and composed the first tune for the text.

Francis R. Havergal is also author of the hymns “Take My Life and Let it Be” and “I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus.”

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