Love Divine All Loves Excelling

This is one of the loveliest hymns by Charles Wesley (1707-88), first published in 1747 in his brother John Wesley's collection, rather dauntingly entitled Hymns for those that seek, and those that have, Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ. But Charles Wesley must share some of the credit: he is thought to have been inspired, perhaps unconsciously, by a thoroughly pagan popular song of the day, 'Fairest isle, all isles excelling', written by John Dryden for Act 2 of Henry Purcell's opera King Arthur (1691), and the wonderful closing line turns out to be an unambiguous crib from a poem by Joseph Addison:

When all thy mercies, o my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view I'm lost
In wonder, love and praise.

Nobody has ever satisfactorily explained the meaning of 'changed from glory into glory' in the last verse, though it has been suggested that the line relates to 2 Corinthians 3:18: 'But we all, with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.'

Percy Dearmer points out 'how few of the earlier hymns dwell upon the thought of God as Love. The popularity in recent years of this fine hymn of Wesley's is probably due to the fact that it does address God in this way.'

The tune 'Love Divine' is by John Stainer.

Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy of heav'n, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more 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.

Finish then thy new creation,
Pure and sinless 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.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• love
• divine
• excelling
• hymn
• god
• religious
• christian
• traditional
• inspirational
• qvt
• howden
• choir
• church
• english
• tvnorth

[bluegibby7]

Us Methodists don't sing it to this tune. Lost in wonder, love , and grace . Amen......

[m0bob]

It sounds like a choir of warbling elderly ladies.

[peterlinie3]

So rarely sung nowadays to this wonderful tune. Thank you so much for posting; listening has set me up nicely for the rest of the day.

[ah3491]

Used to sing this tune in church choir for weddings. At a slightly faster tempo. This is the better tune in my view.

[lincsposter]

Sorry this is not my version of this historic hymn! Rochdale Canal will never be the same again!

[77COLLINE]

I learned this as a chopoirboy 65 years ago, and had it for my Marriage Vows Renewal this year. The only real tune 'Love Divine' for this lovely hymn.

[christianmusic89]

Thank you for posting with this tune.

[calledbyHisname1]

beautiful!

[julestheangel]

This is the one and only tune for this hymn! Had it at my wedding but after 26 yrs marriage was no more !! but still adore this!!

[lincsposter]

Stainer version is what I want at my funeral! Wanted at my wedding but never got that far!