Hymn: Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.

Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

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May 30 2022

Ana Lara

Storrs, Connecticut, United States

Augustus Toplady wrote a number of hymns in his life, but “Rock of Ages” is by far the most famous. When Louis Benson wrote about the hymn in 1923, he claimed it “is to-day in more church hymnals than is in any other English hymn. ”

As for the hymn, the first stanza appeared in public in 1775 in a periodical called the Gospel Magazine (a periodical which still is in print today). The full version of the hymn was printed the following year in Toplady’s book Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship.

There is a common story of the hymn being inspired by (and even written from within) a rock cleft that Toplady once took refuge in during a storm. The particular rock is in Burrington Combe Gorge in North Somerset, England, and it has a plaque on it with its claim to fame. However the story is probably apocryphal-(doubtful of authenticity but widely circulated as true). Benson argues that Toplady was most likely inspired to write the hymn after reading the preface of John and Charles Wesley‘s Hymns on the Lord’s Supper (1745) which contains a prayer voicing many of the themes and words that are also found in the hymn. This is ironic, because he had a combative relationship with John Wesley. Nevertheless God used even what is negative for His good will and purpose. Regardless of where and how Toplady got his inspiration, the hymn has been a blessing in past generations and will continue to be a blessing to Christians in generations to come.

(Tim Challies).

May 19 2022

Elias Fairfield

Oakhurst, CA, United States

Can we change it back to the lyrics Toplady wrote?

"Be of sin the double cure: save from wrath and make me pure."

Jesus' work did both of these and it's important to sing! Jesus saved us from wrath--rescued us from Hell and the wrath of God! Praise God! But He not only did that, He also made us pure -- worthy of Heaven and Glory! We need both! Let us sing it!

May 10 2022

Taylor Robinson

Denver, CO, United States

Be of sin the double cure

Sins forgiven

Sicknesses healed amen Jesus!

May 7 2022

Sunday Nnoli

Ogidi, Anambra, Nigeria

Nothing in my hand I bring'.... 'Not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy law demands... ' This are wonderful lines that I always present before God. Helping me to gain access into Christ's finished work of Calvary. I always get enveloped by His power and wisdom to succeed as He, Christ would.

May 2 2022

Tina Dieu Donne Ocloo

Accra, Ghana

Continue being my rock Papa, good to know you are there.

Apr 9 2022

Georgina Afer

Tema, Greater Accra, Ghana

Jesus is the solid rock on whom I lean. Even if there are storms, He’ll provide shelter for me.

Mar 27 2022

Michael

Escondido, CA, United States

We can hide in Jesus , our rock of ages.

Mar 22 2022

Michael Daba

Koforidua, Ghana

Glory be to God, may the love of God be you all in Jesus Name.

Mar 19 2022

Tiku Emmanuel

Kumba, South West, Cameroon

I so love this song it uplift me spiritually

Mar 12 2022

Onyinyechi

Enugu, Nigeria

The song reminds me of who I am and where I am going at the end of the day

After World War II there was a desire in the United States for new things; consequently, many new tunes were written for hymns. After twenty or thirty years, however, no one is singing the new tunes; people prefer the traditional tunes. Our hymnal includes almost all the good tunes for hymns. The old tunes are more solemn. This is evident with the tunes for "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, / Let me hide myself in Thee" (Hymns, #1058) and even for "Many weary years I vainly sought a spring" (#322), which has a little faster tempo. Proper tunes for hymns should be neither light nor embellished; on the contrary, they should be solemn and weighty. Brother Nee was very much against embellishing the hymns, because this does not build up our spirit. It is good to write new hymns, but we must adhere to the principle of mainly presenting the truth. I hope that we would understand the fine distinctions here.

CWWL, 1984, vol. 5, The Faithful and Diligent Spreading of the Truth—Concerning the Publication Service, ch. 12 (LSM)

We have a hymn in our hymnal (Hymns, #1058) that speaks of the double cure of God's full salvation through the blood and the water that flowed from Christ's pierced side (John 19:34), which save us from both the guilt and power of sin. The blood is for redemption, and the water is for the imparting of the divine life. Guilt is the result of the condemnation of sin, and the power of sin is the entanglement and tyranny of sin. For deliverance from the power of sin, we have God's salvation in the divine life, and for deliverance from the guilt and the condemnation of sin, we have Christ's redemption through the shedding of His blood. Romans 5:10 speaks of the two aspects of God's deliverance from sin: "If we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled." Here the reconciliation to God through the death of His Son points to Christ's redemption, which delivers us from the guilt and condemnation of sin, and the salvation in Christ's life delivers us from the power of sin.

CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 2, The Work and Warfare to Build Up the Body of Christ, ch. 3 (LSM)

God saves fallen human beings by resolving the problem of sins and by dealing with our sin. The hymn "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me" (Hymns, #1058) is a good Christian song. It is a valuable, classic Christian hymn. The key point of this hymn is found in the last lines of the first stanza: "Let the water and the blood, / From Thy riven side which flowed, / Be of sin the double cure, / Save me from its guilt and power." Guilt is due to our outward sinful deeds and shows that we have received eternal punishment; power refers to the power of the sinful nature within us. How can we resolve the problem of sin and sins? It is through the water and the blood which flowed from the Lord's riven side. The blood redeems us from the eternal punishment related to our sins, and the water saves us from the power of sin. This is the double cure mentioned in this hymn. Therefore, this hymn is well written, and the truth in it is very clear.

This shows that we must have a thorough knowledge of the truth. "Let the water and the blood, / From Thy riven side which flowed, / Be of sin the double cure, / Save me from its guilt and power." The Lord's blood washes away our outward transgressions and saves us from the guilt of eternal punishment. The water denotes the Lord's resurrection life, which enters into us and is the power to deliver us from the power of sin. In Romans 7:24 Paul said, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of this death?" He is speaking of our inward, sinful nature. In 8:1 Paul says, "There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." The condemnation here does not refer to being condemned to go to the lake of fire but to the condemning within us. Many husbands do not want to lose their temper with their wife. They set their will and pray, but they still lose their temper. After getting angry, they condemn themselves for being wretched, and they wonder who can save them. However, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life has freed us from the law of sin and of death (v. 2). This is what is referred to in the line of the hymn "Save me from its...power." The blood redeems us outwardly, and the life saves us inwardly. Redemption delivers us from our sinful deeds, and salvation delivers us from our sinful nature.

Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord's Recovery, Book 3, chapter 9 (LSM)

The hymns are another tool for preaching the gospel. We can preach the gospel to others by singing hymns, such as Hymns, #1058. I translated this hymn into Chinese, and Brother Nee polished it and made some improvements, including my translation of the line "Be of sin the double cure." The first cure for sin deals with the record of our sins before God, for which we should receive eternal punishment. The second cure for sin deals with the law of sin within us, which brings us under the ruling of the power of sin. This hymn also speaks of "the water and the blood" that flowed from the Lord's side. The blood deals with the record of our sins before God, and the water denotes the law of the Spirit of life. This law enables us to overcome the law of sin and of death (Rom. 8:2). I mention this because I hope that some young people may be raised up to learn to write hymns.

The Fullness of God, chapter 8 (LSM)

Hymns, #1058, verse 1 says, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, / Let me hide myself in Thee; / Let the water and the blood, / From Thy riven side which flowed, / Be of sin the double cure, / Save me from its guilt and power." We have a double problem. On the one hand, we have a record of sins before God. On the other hand, we have the nature of sin within us. Only the blood and water can be the double cure for our sin. On the one hand, the redemptive blood redeems us that we may escape the eternal punishment for sins. On the other hand, the water of life saves us that we may be delivered from the power of sin. Sin not only causes man to suffer eternal punishment, but it also has the power, which is the law of sin, to dominate man from within. In our natural life we have no way to overcome the law of sin and of death, but the law of the Spirit of life can free us in Christ from the law of sin and of death. Only the precious blood can solve the problems concerning our condemned position and our record of sins. Only the Spirit of life can solve our problem concerning the law of sin and of death. God's full salvation consists not only of the redemption through the precious blood but also of the salvation by the Spirit of life.

The Wonderful Being of Christ, chapter 2 (LSM)

The writer of this hymn refers to the "double cure." His redemption gives us a double cure. First He washes away our sins, and second He regenerates us. His blood saves us from the guilt of sin and His life saves us from the power of sin. In His redemption Christ can give us a double cure—He washes away our filthiness and He keeps away our death. This double cure is His redemptive work, yet for us to enjoy His redemptive work, we must be willing to be imprisoned in His death. While we are in His death, He has the position to secrete Himself around our being. Then we will surely receive the double cure and we will be produced as pearls for the entry into God's building.

God's New Testament Economy, chapter 33 (LSM)

Augustus Toplady

This very godly person, when he counted his sins, considered that every second he committed at least one sin. That is to say that in ten years, there were more than three hundred million sins. Therefore, he wrote that glorious hymn which caused millions of people, who were tired and oppressed by sin, to find rest—"Rock of Ages, cleft for me, / Let me hide myself in Thee"! He wrote:

Oh, is there one as pitiable as I in this world! Besides weakness and sin I have nothing. In my flesh there is no good thing, and how surprising that I could be tempted to view myself so high. The best work I have done in my life only qualifies me to be condemned.

But when he was dying of tuberculosis in London, he leaned his sinful head on the breast of the Savior and said, "I am the happiest man in this world."

The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Set 1, Vol. 9, Self-Knowledge and God's Light (LSM)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

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