The Glory of God

Top Media Text Paraphraser Text Info Tune Timeline Arrangements Page Scans Instances

O God, thou bottomless abyss!

Paraphraser: John Wesley
Published in 54 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	As Though the Whole Creation Cried - 50…

Choral
	From Heaven Above to Earth I Come - (Cho…

Instrumental
	O Come, Emmanuel: Six Advent and Christm…

Representative Text

1 O GOD, Thou bottomless abyss!
Thee to perfection who can know?
O height immense! What words suffice
Thy countless attributes to show?

2 Unfathomable depths Thou art;
Oh plunge me in Thy mercy’s sea!
Void of true wisdom is my heart;
With love embrace and cover me.

3 Eternity Thy fountain was,
Which, like Thee, no beginning knew;
Thou wast ere time began his race,
Ere glowed with stars th’ethereal blue.

4 Greatness unspeakable is Thine,
Greatness, whose undiminished ray,
When short-lived worlds are lost, shall shine,
When earth and heaven are fed away.

5 Unchangeable, all-perfect Lord,
Essential life’s unbounded sea,
What lives and moves, lives by Thy word;
It lives, and moves, and is from Thee.

6 High is Thy power above all height,
Whate’er Thy will decrees is done;
Thy wisdom, equal to Thy might,
Only to Thee, O God, is known.

Source: Redemption Hymnal #116

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Paraphraser: John Wesley

John Wesley, the son of Samuel, and brother of Charles Wesley, was born at Epworth, June 17, 1703. He was educated at the Charterhouse, London, and at Christ Church, Oxford. He became a Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, and graduated M.A. in 1726. At Oxford, he was one of the small band consisting of George Whitefield, Hames Hervey, Charles Wesley, and a few others, who were even then known for their piety; they were deridingly called "Methodists." After his ordination he went, in 1735, on a mission to Georgia. The mission was not successful, and he returned to England in 1738. From that time, his life was one of great labour, preaching the Gospel, and publishing his commentaries and other theological works. He died in London, in 17… Go to person page >

^ top

First Line:	O God, thou bottomless abyss!
Title:	The Glory of God
Paraphraser:	John Wesley
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

^ top

Tune

VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

Go to tune page >

ROTHWELL (Tans'ur)

MORESVILLE

All tunes published with 'The Glory of God'^ top