O love divine, whose constant beam

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O love divine, whose constant beam

Author: John Greenleaf Whittier
Published in 37 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Five for Christmas

Choral
	A Child Is Born for Us This Day

Instrumental
	The Cross (A Hymn Medley for Orchestra)

Representative Text

1 O Love Divine! whose constant beam
Shines on the eyes that will not see,
And waits to bless us, while we dream,
Thou leavest us because we turn from Thee!

2 All souls that struggle and aspire,
All hearts of prayer by Thee are lit;
And, dim or clear, Thy tongues of fire
On dusky tribes and twilight centuries sit.

3 Nor bounds, nor clime, nor creed Thou know'st,
Wide as our need Thy favours fall;
The white wings of the Holy Ghost
Stoop, seen or unseen, o'er the heads of all.

4 O Beauty, old yet ever new!
Eternal Voice, and Inward Word,
The Logos of the Greek and Jew,
The old-sphere music which the Samian heard!

5 Truth which the sage and prophet saw,
Long sought without, but found within,
The Law of Love, beyond all law,
The Life o'erflooding mortal death and sin!

6 Shine on us with the light which glowed
Upon the trance-bound shepherd's way;
Who saw the darkness overflowed,
And drowned by tides of everlasting day.

7 Shine, Light of God! make broad Thy scope
To all who sin and suffer; more
And better than we dare to hope,
With heaven's compassion make our longings poor!

Source: Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #162

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Author: John Greenleaf Whittier

Whittier, John Greenleaf, the American Quaker poet, was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, Dec. 17, 1807. He began life as a farm-boy and shoemaker, and subsequently became a successful journalist, editor and poet. In 1828 he became editor of the American Manufacturer (Boston), in 1830 of the New England Review, and an 1836 (on becoming Secretary to the American Anti-Slavery Society) of the Pennsylvania Freeman. He was also for some time, beginning with 1847, the corresponding editor of the National Era. In 1840 he removed to Amesbury, Massachusetts, where most of his later works have been written. At the present time [1890] he lives alternately at Amesbury and Boston. His first poetical piece was printed in the Newburyport Free Press in 182… Go to person page >

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