Scripture Verse

God is love. 1 John 4:16

Introduction

Words: Charles Wes­ley, 1741. This hymn was first pub­lished with 18 stan­zas. Then it was split in three parts (see Would Je­sus Have the Sin­ner Die?) and re-published in 1780.

Music: St. Ca­the­rine (Wal­ton), ar­ranged by James G. Wal­ton in Crown of Je­sus Mu­sic, by Hen­ri F. He­my (Lon­don: 1864) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of He­my or Wal­ton (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

See, sinners, in the Gos­pel glass,
The friend and Sav­ior of mankind!
Not one of all the apostate race
But may in Him sal­va­tion find!
His thoughts, and words, and actions prove,
His life and death, that God is love!

Behold the Lamb of God, who bears
The sins of all the world away!
A servant’s form He meekly wears,
He sojourns in a house of clay,
His glo­ry is no longer seen,
But God with God is man with men.

See where the God incarnate stands,
And calls His wandering creatures home,
He all day long spreads out His hands,
“Come, weary souls, to Je­sus come!
Ye all may hide you in My breast,
Believe, and I will give you rest.

Ah! do not of My goodness doubt;
My saving grace for all is free;
I will in no wise cast him out
That comes a sinner unto Me;
I can to none Myself deny,
Why, sinners, will ye perish, why?