The hymn, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, written by Charles Wesley in 1747, overflows with religious fervor. In this beautiful hymn text, Wesley, at once, recognizes and worships God. The excelling love of the Divine reflected in the Incarnation of Christ compels the deep and intense love for and devotion toward God. The “coming down” of Christ to humbly dwell with us inspires this adoration and provokes a prayer for God to “visit and enter every trembling heart.”
In the second stanza, Wesley continues his invocation to the Holy Spirit who is also affirmed as a “loving” Person. It is upon this awareness of His love that the appeal for the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is made. Moreover, the freedom from sin’s power and the liberty that accompanies it is also requested. Wesley’s theological viewpoint is revealed in this stanza and throughout this hymn text. He recognizes God’s involvement from the beginning to the end, from creation to consummation. God is the “Alpha and Omega,” and He is the One who will bring about the “new Creation.” The metanarrative revealed throughout the Holy Scriptures is exposed and affirmed in this magnificent hymn.
In the third stanza, Wesley gives a hint of the first person of the Trinity—the Father—when he refers to the “Almighty” who delivers. Yet, he seems to allude to the Son when he writes, “suddenly return, and never, never more thy temples leave.” Regardless of one’s reading in this third stanza, there is an eschatological view in mind.
This is also true in stanza four, as the request is for God to “finish His new creation.” Several additional allusions to the consummation, which are found in the Book of Revelation, are contained in this hymn: “perfectly restored,” “glory to glory,” “heav’n we take our place,” and “cast our crowns before Thee.” Throughout this hymn, Wesley unites statements of facts with expressions of faith and fervor in a powerful trilogy!
The powerful words of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, set to tunes such as BEECHER or BLAENWERN, are only enhanced and enriched by their cherubic, thrilling, and transcendent melodies and harmonies. Every person who understands the underlying truths and affirmations found within this hymn text can be immediately transported into a place of worshipful ecstasy. When we consider the “excelling love of God,” which has been expressed in so many ways, our hearts will swell with deep feelings of adoration, reverence, respect, devotion, and love!
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation; enter ev’ry trembling heart.
Breath, O breath thy loving Spirit
into ev’ry troubled breast.
Let us all in the inherit,
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning.
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
true and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.
