Scripture Verse

God is love. 1 John 4:16

Introduction

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John Bowring (1792–1872)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: John Bow­ring, Hymns (Lon­don: Row­land Hunt­er, 1825), num­ber 25.

Music: Sus­sex Eng­lish tune, adapt­ed by Ralph Vaugh­an Will­iams in The Eng­lish Hym­nal (Lon­don: Ox­ford Uni­ver­si­ty Press, 1906), num­ber 239 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Lyrics

God is love! His mer­cy bright­ens
All the path in which we rove;
Bliss He wakes, and woe He light­ens:
God is wis­dom! God is love!

Chance and change are bu­sy ev­er;
Man de­cays and ag­es move;
But His mer­cy wan­eth ne­ver:
God is wis­dom! God is love!

E’en the hour that dark­est seem­eth
Will His change­less good­ness prove;
From the mist His bright­ness stream­eth:
God is wis­dom! God is love!

He with earth­ly cares en­twin­eth
Hope and com­fort from above;
Everywhere His glo­ry shin­eth:
God is wis­dom! God is love!