O love divine, how sweet thou art

General information

O love divine, how sweet thou art is a hymn by Charles Wesley. It was first published as Hymn XIX on pp47-49 of Hymns on the Great Festivals, London: for M. Cooper, 1746, under the heading 'Desiring to Love'.

Settings by composers

• John Fawcett SATB
• James Leach SATB
• Samuel Sebastian Wesley SATB

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Jeremiah Ingalls — Happy Choice

Text and translations

English text

1  O love divine, how sweet thou art!
When shall I find my longing heart
All taken up by thee?
I thirst, I faint, and die, to prove
The greatness of redeeming love,
The love of Christ to me.

2  Stronger his love, than death or hell;
Its riches are unsearchable:
The first-born sons of light
Desire in vain its depth to see;
They cannot reach the mystery,
The length, and breadth, and height.

3  God only knows the love of God.
O that it now were shed abroad
In this poor stony heart!
For love I sigh, for love I pine:
This only portion, Lord, be mine,
Be mine this better part!

4  O that I could for ever sit,
With Mary, at the Master's feet!
Be this my happy choice!
My only care, delight, and bliss,
My joy, my heav'n on earth be this,
To hear the Bridegroom's voice.

5  O that with humbled Peter I
Could weep, believe, and thrice reply,
My faithfulness to prove!
Thou know'st, for all to thee is known,
Thou know'st, O Lord, and thou alone,
Thou know'st, that thee I love.

6  O that I could, with favour'd John,
Recline my weary head upon
The dear Redeemer's breast!
From care, and sin, and sorrow free,
Give me, O Lord, to find in thee
My everlasting rest.

7  Thy only love do I require,
Nothing on earth beneath desire,
Nothing in heaven above:
Let earth and heaven, and all things go,
Give me thine only love to know,
Give me thine only love.

External links

• Hymns on the Great Festivals, London: for M. Cooper, 1746, description and transcription by the Duke Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition