Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
One of our great privileges in life was to attend the Wesley Choral Festival at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York on February 18, 2007. The occasion was the Charles Wesley Tercentenary (300th anniversary) of his birth. A 300 voice choir with orchestra presented the most “excelling” arrangement of Wesley’s hymn, “Love Divine”. We were ecstatic with joy and praise. For Charles Wesley, JESUS is the “Love Divine” that excels all other loves. The final verse of this hymn states the destiny of the sanctified life: “changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.” – Wes & Patti McCallum.
1.
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, 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 that second rest.
Take away our bent to 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 heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Words: Charles Wesley, 1747
Music: John Zundel, 1870
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