Jesus Paid It All
Words: Elvina M. Hall, 1865 · Tune "All to Christ": John T. Grape, 1868 · Public domain
Verse 1
CI hear the FSavior Csay,
C"Thy Gstrength Cindeed is small;
CChild of Fweakness, Cwatch and Fpray,
FFind in CMe thine G7all in Call."
Chorus
FJesus Cpaid it all,
CAll to Him I Gowe;
FSin had Cleft a Gcrimson Fstain,
FHe Cwashed it G7white as Csnow.
Verse 2
CLord, now Findeed I Cfind
CThy Gpower, and Thine alone,
FCan change the Cleper's Fspots
FAnd Cmelt the G7heart of Cstone.
Verse 3
CFor nothing Fgood have CI
GWhereby CThy grace to claim;
FI'll wash my Cgarments Fwhite
FIn the Cblood of G7Calv'ry's CLamb.
Verse 4
CAnd when Fbefore the Cthrone
CI Gstand in Him complete,
C"Jesus Fdied my Csoul to Fsave,"
FMy Clips shall G7still Crepeat.
Chords in the key of C
- C
- F
- G
- G7
About this hymn
- Words
- Elvina M. Hall, 1865
- Music
- ALL TO CHRIST, John T. Grape, 1868
- Meter
- 6.6.7.7 with refrain
- In
- 991 hymnals
- Scripture
- Isaiah 1:18, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7
The story
Elvina Hall was a widow in her forties when she wrote these words in 1865. She was sitting in the choir loft at Monument Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, through a long prayer and a long sermon, and she had no paper on her. She wrote it on the blank page at the front of her hymnal. The church organist, John Grape, was a coal merchant who wrote music on the side, and he had a tune already finished called All To Christ I Owe. The pastor saw that the two fit and put them together. The old telling says it happened in one week, but the words are dated 1865 and the tune 1868, so take that timeline as tradition.
Where it fits in a service
Often used at communion, at an altar call, and in services about the cross. It also fits a testimony moment, since the refrain says the whole point in one line.
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