Eternal depth of love divine

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General information

Eternal depth of love divine is a hymn by John Wesley, translated from the hymn 'Du ewiger Abgrund der seligen Liebe' by Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.

Wesley's translation of the hymn was first published in four eight-line verses on pp195-196 of John and Charles Wesley's Hymns and Sacred Poems, London: 1739. The text was later republished as hymn 586 in the Collection of Hymns for the use of the People called Methodists, where it was given in six four-line verses: the second half of the original verse 3 and the first half of the original verse 4 were omitted.

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Text and translations

As published in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739

English.png English text

1  Eternal depth of love divine
In Jesus, God-with-us, display'd,
How bright thy beaming glories shine!
How wide thy healing streams are spread!
With whom dost thou delight to dwell?
Sinners, a vile, a thankless race.
O God! What tongue aright can tell
How vast thy love, how great thy grace!

2  The dictates of thy sov'reign will
With joy our grateful hearts receive:
All thy delight in us fulfill,
Lo! All we are to thee we give.
To thy sure love, thy tender care,
Our flesh, soul, spirit we resign;
O! Fix thy sacred presence there,
And seal th'abode for ever thine.

3  O King of Glory, thy rich grace
Our short desires surpasses far!
Yea, ev'n our crimes, tho' numberless,
Less num'rous than thy mercies are.
Still on thee, Father, may we rest!
Still may we pant thy Son to know!
Thy Spirit still breathe into our breast,
Fountain of peace and joy below!

4  Oft have we seen thy mighty pow'r
Since from the world thou mad'st us free:
Still may we praise thee more and more,
Our hearts more firmly knit to thee!
Still, Lord, thy saving health display,
And arm our souls with heav'nly zeal:
So, fearless shall we urge our way
Thro' all the pow'rs of earth and hell!

As published in A Collection of Hymns for the use of the People called Methodists

English.png English text

1  Eternal depth of love divine,
In Jesus, God with us, display'd;
How bright thy beaming glories shine!
How wide thy healing streams are spread!

2  With whom dost thou delight to dwell?
Sinners, a vile and thankless race;
O God, what tongue aright can tell
How vast thy love, how great thy grace!

3  The dictates of thy sov'reign will
With joy our thankful hearts receive:
All thy delight in us fulfil;
Lo! all we are to thee we give.

4  To thy sure love, thy tender care,
Our flesh, soul, spirit, we resign;
O fix thy sacred presence there,
And seal th'abode for ever thine.

5  O King of glory, thy rich grace
Our feeble thought surpasses far;
Yea, ev'n our crimes, though numberless,
Less num'rous than thy mercies are.

6  Still, Lord, thy saving health display,
And arm our souls with heav'nly zeal;
So fearless shall we urge our way
Through all the pow'rs of earth and hell.

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