Jesus Paid It All
Words: Elvina M. Hall, 1865 · Tune "All to Christ": John T. Grape, 1868 · Public domain
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Verse 1
CI hear the FSav-Cior say,
Cthy Gstrength in-Amdeed Gis Csmall;
Cchild of weak-Fness, Cwatch and pray,
Cfind Fin Cme G7thine Call G7in Call.
Refrain (after every verse)
CJe-Fsus Cpaid it all,
Call Fto Chim I Gowe;
Csin Fhad Cleft a crimson Fstain,
F#dimhe Cwashed G7it Cwhite G7as Csnow.
Verse 2
CLord, now in-Fdeed CI find
Cthy Gpow'r, and Amthine Ga-Clone,
Ccan change the Fleper's Cspots
Cand Fmelt Cthe heart G7of Cstone.
Verse 3
CFor nothing Fgood Chave I
Cwhere-Gby thy Amgrace Gto Cclaim;
CI'll wash my Fgarments Cwhite
Cin Fthe Cblood G7of CCal-G7v'ry's CLamb.
Verse 4
CAnd when be-Ffore Cthe throne
CI Gstand in Amhim Gcom-Cplete,
C"Jesus died Fmy Csoul to save,"
Cmy Flips Cshall still G7re-Cpeat.
Chords in the key of C
- C
- F
- G
- Am
- G7
- F#dim
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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This hymn in three keys, and 49 more
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