Love so amazing, so divine

One of the great hymns of faith, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", written by Isaac Watts and published in 1707, "is significant for being an innovative departure from the early English hymn style of only using paraphrased biblical texts," according to Wikipedia, "although the first couplet of the second verse paraphrases Galatians 6:14a and the second couplet of the fourth verse paraphrases Gal.6:14b.

"The poetry of 'When I survey . . . ' may be seen as English literary baroque.^[1]"

According to Barry's Hymns blog, "It is said that as a teenager Watts complained to his father about the monotonous way Christians in England sang the Old Testament Psalms. His father, a leading deacon, snapped back, 'All right young man, you give us something better.' "

Wikipedia: "The second line of the first stanza originally read, 'Where the young Prince of Glory dy'd'. Watts himself altered that line in the 1709 edition of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, to prevent it from being mistaken as an allusion to Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, the heir to the throne who died at age 11.^[2]

"The hymn's fourth stanza ('His dying crimson . . .') is commonly omitted in printed versions, a practice that began with George Whitefield in 1757.^[3]

"In the final stanza, some modern variations substitute the word 'offering' for 'present'."

5. Were the whole Realm of Nature mine,
    That were a Present far too small;
    Love so amazing, so divine,
    Demands my Soul, my Life, my All.

Of the hymn's critical acclaim, Barry's blog notes, "Tedd Smith is quoted as saying, 'It seems to me that Isaac Watts wrote this text as if he were standing at the foot of Christ's cross.' Charles Wesley reportedly said he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one. Concerning the hymn's creation, there is no special story that makes it stand out from others that he wrote.  But what makes this hymn unique is the particular beauty of its language and imagery, and the power with which it highlights the most significant event in human and personal history - the cross of Jesus Christ."