The Love of Jesus

Verse 1

Jesus, Thou soul of all our joys, For whom we now lift up our voice, And all our strength exert; Vouchsafe the grace we humbly claim, Compose into a thankful frame, And tune Thy people’s heart.

Verse 2

While in the heavenly work we join, Thy glory be our whole design, Thy glory, not our own: Still let us keep our end in view, And still the pleasing task pursue, To please our God alone.

Verse 3

The secret pride, the subtle sin, O let it never more steal in, To offend Thy glorious eyes, To desecrate our hallowed strain, And make our solemn service vain, And mar our sacrifice!

Verse 4

To magnify Thy awful name, To spread the honors of the Lamb, Let us our voices raise; Our souls’ and bodies’ powers unite, Regardless of our own delight, And dead to human praise.

Verse 5

Still let us on our guard be found, And watch against the power of sound With sacred jealousy; Lest haply sense should damp our zeal, And music’s charms bewitch and steal Our hearts away from Thee.

Verse 6

That hurrying strife far oft remove, That noisy burst of selfish love, Which swells the formal song; The joy from out our hearts arise, And speak and sparkle in our eyes, And vibrate on our tongue.

Verse 7

Thee let us praise, our common Lord, And sweetly join with one accord Thy goodness to proclaim: Jesus, Thyself in us reveal, And all our faculties shall feel Thy harmonizing name.

Verse 8

With calmly reverential joy, O let us all our lives employ In setting forth Thy love; And raise in death our triumph higher, And sing with all the heavenly choir, That endless song above!