O Love of God, How Strong and True

Representative Text

1 O love of God, how strong and true,
eternal and yet ever new,
uncomprehended and unbought,
beyond all knowledge and all thought!
O love of God, how deep and great,
far deeper than man's deepest hate;
self-fed, self-kindled like the light,
changeless, eternal, infinite.

2 O heav'nly love, how precious still,
in days of weariness and ill,
in nights of pain and helplessness,
to heal, to comfort, and to bless!
O wide-embracing, wondrous love!
We read you in the sky above,
we read you in the earth below,
in seas that swell and streams that flow.

3 We read you best in him who came
bearing for us the cross of shame;
sent by the Father from on high,
our life to live, our death to die.
We read your pow'r to bless and save,
e'en in the darkness of the grave;
still more in resurrection light
we read the fullness of your might.

4 O love of God, our shield and stay
through all the perils of our way!
Eternal love, in you we rest,
forever safe, forever blest.
We will exalt you, God and King,
and we will ever praise your name;
we will extol you ev'ry day,
and evermore your praise proclaim.

Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #240

Author: Horatius Bonar

Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Jer. 31:3, Lam. 3:22-23
st. 3 = Eph. 3:17-18
st. 5 = Col. 1:19-20
st. 7 = Ps. 33:20

One of Horatius Bonar's (PHH 260) best hymn texts, “O Love of God” was published in his Hymns of Faith and Hope (1861) in ten stanzas. The Psalter Hymnal includes the original stanzas 1, 3-6, 9, and 10.

The text's theme is God's love, which we cannot comprehend but do experience (st. 1-2). We may observe God's love in the creation around us (st. 3-4), but we find his love most clearly expressed in the sacrifice of Christ (st. 5-6); it is in this redemptive love that we find our eternal rest (st. 7).

Liturgical Use:
The theme of God' s redemptive love is fitting for many worship services, particularly as a hymn between confession and assurance and the service of the word; worship that focuses on creation (st. 1,3-5); healing services (st. 1-2,5,7); funerals (st. 1-2,5-7); Easter Sunday (st. 5-7).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 107)

Australian Hymn Book #75

Book of Common Praise #d407

Christian Song #81

Church and University Hymns #d137

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #41

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #41

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d391

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Church Hymns and Tunes #108

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College Hymnal #191

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Common Praise #100

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Complete Mission Praise #514

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Free Methodist Hymnal #431

Gospel Light, or Hymns and Tunes for all Occasions of Christian Work and Worship #d294

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book with Accompanying Tunes (Second Edition) #476

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #476

Text

Hymnal Supplement 1991 #800

Hymnal #326

Hymnbook for Christian Worship #16

Hymns and Psalms #42

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Hymns and Tunes for Schools #49

Hymns for Worship #105

Hymns of Devotion #d151

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Hymns of Faith and Hope (2nd series) #52

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Hymns of Faith and Love #150

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Hymns of the Church, Ancient and Modern #55

Hymns of the Saints #188

Hymns of the Saints #189

Hymns of the Spirit for Use in the Free Churches of America #84

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Hymns of Worship and Service #50

Hymns of Worship and Songs of the Gospel #d211

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In Excelsis #150

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In Excelsis #a150

TextFlexScoreAudio

Lift Up Your Hearts #583

Audio

More Hymns and Spiritual Songs #79

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #66

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #66

Text

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism #243

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Pentecostal Hymns No. 4 #113

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Pentecostal Hymns Nos. 3 and 4 Combined #456

Pilgrim Hymnal #99

Psalter Hymnal (Blue) #329

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Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #463

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Psalter Hymnal (Red) #341

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Rejoice in the Lord #338

Scripture Song Database #2585

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Services for Congregational Worship. The New Hymn and Tune Book #85

Text

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #79

Audio

Small Church Music #278

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Songs of Praise #325

Songs of praise #607

Songs of the Blessed Hope #d142

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Songs of the Christian Life #69

Spiritual Songs and Hymns, for Use in All Gospel Services #d407

Temple Chimes #d184

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d305

The Australian Hymn Book with Catholic Supplement #75

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book for Public Worship #143

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, for Public Worship #46.143

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The Baptist Hymn Book #143

The Best Loved Hymns and Prayers of the American People #119b

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The Blessed Way #21

The Book of Common Praise #d420

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The Book of Worship of the Church School #107

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The Canadian Baptist Hymn Book #129

The Canadian Baptist Hymnal for the use of Churches and Families #d465

The Canadian Youth Hymnal #179

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The Christian Church Hymnal #12

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The Christian Hymn Book #110

The Christian Hymnal #d498

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The Christian Hymnal #63

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The Christian hymnal #177

The Church and School #d151

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The Church Hymnal #322

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The Church Hymnal #67

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The Cyber Hymnal #5146

The Gospel Hymnal #d452

The Hymnal #d359

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The Hymnal #119a

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #455

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #456

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The Hymnal of Praise #92

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal #126

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The Hymnal #119

The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches #7

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The Iris #90

The Mennonite Hymnal #64

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #52

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The Methodist Hymnal (Text only edition) #83

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The Methodist Hymnal #83

The National Baptist Hymn Book #d409

The National Baptist Hymn Book #ad409

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The National Baptist Hymnal #99

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The New Christian Hymnal #36

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #179

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #239

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The Riverdale Hymn Book #79

The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d668

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The Song Companion to the Scriptures #476

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The Song-Land Way #21

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The Voice of Praise #95

Pages

Exclude 87 pre-1979 instances
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