

                       "Love Divine, All Love Excelling"
                         by Charles Wesley, 1707-1791
                                  Text From:
                      THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
               (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)p.252
                                       


	1. Love Divine, all love 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, oh, breathe Thy loving Spirit
	Into every troubled breast;
	Let us all in Thee inherit,
	Let us find the promised rest.
	Take away the 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 blessings,
	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.

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        Notes:
        Hymn #351 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Ps. 106:4
        Author: Charles Wesley, 1747
        Tune: "O du Liebe"
        1st Published in: _Musikalischer Christenschatz_
        Town: Basel, 1745
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
           by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may
         freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any
            comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the
              Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

                          E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu
                                       
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