Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (BLAENWERN)

Words:8.7.8.7 D • Charles Wesley (1747), with small historical influences
Music:BLAENWERN • William Penfro Rollands (c. 1905)

Words

1.

Love divine, all loves excelling,
  Joy of heav’n to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
  All Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion;
  Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
  Enter every trembling heart.

2.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
  Into every troubled breast.
Let us all in Thee inherit,
  Let us find the promised rest.
Take away our love of sinning;
  Alpha and Omega be!
End of faith as its beginning,
  Set our hearts at liberty.

3.

Come, Almighty to deliver;
  Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return and never,
  Nevermore Thy temples leave!
Thee we would be always blessing,
  Serve Thee as Thy hosts above;
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
  Glory in Thy perfect love.

4.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
  Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation;
  Perfectly restored in Thee:
Changed from glory into glory,
  Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
  Lost in wonder, love, and praise!

Compared to Hymnals

The tune BLAENWERN is commonly used for “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” in Britain. In the United States, most hymnals use the tune BEECHER.

For a comparison of the words, see our hymnal comparison for BEECHER.

Recordings

Here is an a capella recording of this music (it does include an additional descant in the final verse which we do not include):

References

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Through [Jesus] let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.
— Hebrews 13:15