How precious and pure is the truth! How simple and lovely its words! ’Tis suited for age and for youth, As shown in this type of the birds. A bird of the air was to die, Instead of the leper unclean; And Jesus, whose home was on high, Descended to suffer for sin. The bird must be clean of its kind, Or else ’twere unfit to be slain; And none could in Jesus e’er find A blemish, a spot or a stain. The bird in a vessel of earth Must yield up its blood and its breath; And Jesus, of heavenly birth, In form as a man suffered death. The blood of the bird that was slain The living one bore to the sky; So Jesus, in rising again, The worth of His blood took on high. The leper, with blood seven times Was sprinkled to render him clean; So sinners are cleansed from their crimes In blood which atoned for their sin.