Fountain of light and living breath

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Fountain of light and living breath

Author: John Quarles
Published in 11 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Fountain of light and living breath,
Where mercies never fail nor fade!
Fill us with life that hath no death,
Fill us with light that hath no shade;
Appoint the remnant of our days
To see thy power and sing thy praise.

2 Lord God of gods, before whose throne
Stand storms and fire! O what shall we
Return to Heaven that is our own,
When all this world belongs to thee?
We have no offering to impart
But praises and a wounded heart.

3 Great God, whose kingdom hath no end,
Into whose secrets none can dive,
Whose mercy none can apprehend,
Whose justice none can feel, and live!
What our weak minds cannot aspire
To know, Lord, teach me to admire.

A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home, 1843

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Author: John Quarles

Quarles, John, son of Francis Quarles, was born in Essex in 1624, and was educated at Exeter College, Oxford. He bore arms within the garrison at Oxford on behalf of Charles I. and subsequently (it is said) he was raised to the rank of captain in the King's service. On the downfall of the King, Quarles retired to London, and devoted himself to literature for a livelihood. He died there during the great Plague, 1665. He published several works including (1) Jeremiah's Lamentations Paraphrased, with Divine Meditations, 1648; and (2) Divine Meditations upon Several Subjects whereunto is annexed God's Love to Man’s Unworthiness, with several Divine Ejaculations. London, 1655 (Wood's Athenae Oxon.). From the Ejaculation, Mr. Darling adapted… Go to person page >

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