Isaac Watts displayed an early ability to write poetry, even while a child. He was a remarkable man in many ways. He wrote a textbook on logic which was particularly popular at one time. The book was first published in 1724 and, because of its popularity, it went through 20 editions.
For a period of two years, Watts wrote a new hymn every Sunday so that he is credited with writing some 750 hymns! Among those that we sing are: “Joy to the World!”, “Come ye that Love the Lord” (“We’re Marching to Zion”), and “Alas! And Did my Savior Bleed.” In fact, we have eighteen songs in our songbook, Praise for the Lord, written by Isaac Watts.
But perhaps Watts’ most famous song, one of the most famous songs in the English world, is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” This song was published in 1707 and is significant for being an innovation, a departure from the early English hymn style of only using paraphrased biblical texts.
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS – I COUNT MY RICHEST GAIN AS LOSS:
The song says, “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.”
Isaac Watts, as so many if not all of us do when we assemble around the Lord’s Table every Lord’s Day, pictures himself standing at the foot of the cross and looking up at his Savior. That cross was not “wondrous” because it was pretty. In fact, with Christ’s body hanging there, clearly in pain, bloody and bruised, with skin shredded and pitiful, it was anything but pretty. But it does inspire wonder when we think about what Christ gave up in order to hang on the cross for us. We wonder at His love, His commitment to experience that for us.
Jesus was / is the “Prince of glory.” Peter calls Jesus the “Prince of Life” in Acts 3:15. Now, the word “Prince” (NASV / NKJV) does not really refer to royalty. It actually refers to someone who initiates or founds or originates something in which others can participate or experience. Now, it is true that Jesus is royalty; of course He is King rather than a prince. But, here in Acts 3:15, He is the “Prince” (if we want to use that word) of Life – that is, Jesus provides life, eternal life, real life, meaningful life (cf. various translations also in Acts 5:31; Heb: 2:10; 12:2).
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Either way you translate the word, Jesus is our glorious Prince and Leader and He is the one who “brings many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10).
So, we are staring at the cross, seeing our Prince, with the crown of thorns on His head – they were placed there in mockery but, to us, we are reminded that He is the King and He deserves a glorious crown – and we realize that our richest gains – the things about which we can boast the most, are but loss. And we stand before our crucified Prince with contempt for our own pride and arrogance.
Read what the apostle Paul had to say, because if anyone had a reason to boast, it was Paul. But, staring at that wondrous cross, Paul could not boast: (Philippians 3:7-11).
Paul’s attitude was: “Just let me know Jesus and it is enough.” That’s what he wrote in Galatians 6:14: “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
When we survey the wondrous cross, let us pour contempt on our pride and recognize that our gains, our richest gains, are loss compared with knowing Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. We will consider very verse of the song this week in our devotionals.
Paul Holland
