Song: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Song: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Copyright Information: Charles Wesley (Lyrics), Public Domain. This recording was made at Christian Fellowship Church, Bangalore, India.

Lyrics: Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven, 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 every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast; Let us all in thee inherit, Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all thy grace receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more 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, Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see thy great salvation Perfectly restored in thee. Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love and praise.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0iJsZ6QEUbY

Song Meaning

Stanza 1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven, 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 every trembling heart.

Meaning: This opening stanza passionately invites God’s perfect, supreme love (which surpasses all other loves) to come down from heaven and make its home in us. It asks Jesus — the embodiment of pure compassion and infinite love — to enter our fearful hearts, bring salvation, and crown us with His ongoing mercies.

Stanza 2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast; Let us all in thee inherit, Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

Meaning: The prayer continues by asking the Holy Spirit to breathe His loving presence into every anxious heart. It seeks the “second rest” (full sanctification or perfect peace in Christ), deliverance from our natural tendency to sin, and true freedom as we experience Jesus as the beginning and end of our faith.

Stanza 3 Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all thy grace receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more 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.

Meaning: This stanza pleads for God’s almighty power to deliver us and for His grace to fill every life. It longs for God’s permanent presence (never leaving His people, who are His temples) so that we can continually worship, serve, pray, and rejoice in His perfect love, just like the angels in heaven.

Stanza 4 Finish then thy new creation, Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see thy great salvation Perfectly restored in thee. Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love and praise.

Meaning: The final stanza asks God to complete the work of making us holy and spotless — fully restoring His image in us. It expresses the hope of continual transformation from one level of glory to another until we reach heaven, where we will lay our crowns before Him in overwhelming wonder, love, and eternal praise.

Summary of Song This beloved hymn by Charles Wesley is a deep, passionate prayer for God’s perfect love to dwell in us, transform us, and make us holy. It moves from inviting divine love and the Holy Spirit into our hearts, to seeking deliverance from sin, continual worship, and ultimate completion in Christ. With its rich theology and tender longing, the song beautifully captures the journey of Christian sanctification — from initial salvation to full restoration and eternal glory. It is ideal for worship services focused on the Holy Spirit, personal holiness, or deeper intimacy with God.