Scripture Verse

God is love. 1 John 4:16

Introduction

Words: James D. Burns, The Vi­sion of Pro­phe­cy: and Oth­er Po­ems, se­cond edi­tion (Ed­in­burgh, Scot­land: Ed­mon­ston & Doug­las, 1858).

Music: Clap­ham, ano­ny­mous, in The Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by George Booth (Lon­don: Pri­mi­tive Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1889) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the com­pos­er, or where to get a good pic­ture of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
James Burns (1823–1864)

Lyrics

Thou Lord, art love, and ev­ery­where
Thy name is bright­ly shown;
Beneath, on earth—Thy foot­stool fair;
Above, in Heaven—Thy throne.

Thy Word is love; in lines of gold
There mer­cy prints its trace:
In na­ture we Thy steps be­hold,
The Gos­pel shows Thy face.

Thy ways are love; though they trans­cend
Our fee­ble range of sight,
They wind through dark­ness to their end
In ev­er­last­ing light.

Thy thoughts are love, and Je­sus is
The lov­ing voice they find;
His love lights up the vast abyss
Of the eter­nal mind.

Thy chas­tise­ments are love; more deep
They stamp the seal di­vine;
And by a sweet com­pul­sion keep
Our spir­its near­er Thine.

Thy Heav­en is the abode of love!
O bless­èd Lord, that we
May there, when time’s dim shades re­move,
Be ga­thered home to Thee!

Then with Thy rest­ing saints to fall
Adoring round Thy throne,
When all shall love Thee, Lord, and all
Shall in Thy love be one.