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: Tho­mas Ri­chard­son & Sons, 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?