Wilt Thou Forgive that Sin Where I Begun
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun
The hymn exemplifies Lutheran emphasis on the bondage of the human will to sin and the corresponding need for divine grace and forgiveness. It connects personal penitence with the assurance of God's mercy through Christ, central to Lutheran confession and absolution.
History & Background
John Donne's Holy Sonnet 1 was published posthumously in 1633 in his Poems. The text has been adapted for Lutheran hymnody and appears in various English Lutheran hymnals beginning in the 20th century.
Hymnal Appearances
- The Hymnal 1982 — 140
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 297
- Lutheran Service Book — 608
- Lutheran Worship — 264
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 273
Bulletin Note
John Donne (1572–1631), English metaphysical poet and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, penned this prayer-hymn in 1633. Its repeated plea "forgive me" and refrain unite personal anguish with the certainty of God's mercy—quintessentially Lutheran in theology.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Lutheran conviction that the Law exposes our sinfulness from birth, yet the Gospel's answer—Christ's sacrifice—provides the absolution our conscience desperately needs.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Confession of Sin Small Catechism — Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From God's eternal constancy (past/present/future) through human transience and mortality, to renewed trust in divine protection and care
Themes
Repentance and forgiveness Human sinfulness Divine mercy Eternal life Christian assurance