Love Divine, All Love Excelling
Love Divine, All Love Excelling is a hymn text. Found in elw 631. Sung to HYFRYDOL.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 631
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Christological anticipation (St. 1-2) → Incarnational paradox (St. 3) → Pneumatological reign (St. 4)
In the Church Year
Suggested in the one-year series
- Trinity 1 (2×)
- Pentecost (1×)
- Trinity 13 (1×)
- Trinity 17 (1×)
- Trinity 3 (1×)
Suggested in the three-year series
- Pentecost (3×)
- Proper 23 (2×)
- Proper 25 (1×)
- Proper 26 (1×)
From LCMS Worship's published hymn suggestions, 2014–2026. The count is how many of those yearly lists suggested this hymn for that day.
Overview
One of Wesley's finest hymns, modeled on Dryden's song 'Fairest isle, all isles excelling.' It prays that Christ, Love Divine, come down to dwell in us (st. 1), breathe his Spirit and free us from the love of sin (st. 2), come and remain in his temples (st. 3), and finish the new creation until we cast our crowns before him (st. 4). TLH, like many books, alters Wesley's 'Take away our power of sinning' to 'love of sinning' — avoiding the suggestion that Christians reach sinless perfection in this life.
Central theme: Prayer for Christ's indwelling love to renew us until the new creation is complete in heaven
Structure
Indwelling (1); Spirit and liberty (2); presence and service (3); consummation (4).
Law & Gospel Shape
Gospel prayer; 'the love of sinning' confessed and its removal requested.
Confessional Connections
Sanctification is begun in this life and completed in the next (FC VI; the 'simul iustus et peccator'). The TLH alteration in st. 2 protects against perfectionism.
Liturgical Use (Study Notes)
Weddings; Trinity season; Pentecost; communion; general use.
Historical Notes
Published in 'Hymns for Those That Seek and Those That Have Redemption' (1747). Wesley's original stanza 2 was often omitted or altered because of its perfectionist language.
About the Tune
O DU LIEBE in TLH; HYFRYDOL (Rowland H. Prichard, c. 1830) in LSB/ELW.
Scripture References
1 John 4:8, 16 John 1:14 John 14:23 Heb 4:9 Rev 1:8 Heb 12:2 Mal 3:1 2 Cor 3:18 2 Cor 5:17 Rev 4:10
Stanza by Stanza
Christ, Love Divine and joy of heaven come down to earth, is asked to make his humble home in us and crown all his faithful mercies; Jesus, all compassion and pure, boundless love, visit us with salvation and enter every trembling heart.
'Love Divine' names Christ himself (1 John 4:8, 16, 'God is love'). 'Joy of heaven, to earth come down' — the incarnation (John 1:14). 'Fix in us Thy humble dwelling' — indwelling (John 14:23; Eph 3:17). 'Visit us with Thy salvation' quotes Ps 106:4 (TLH's reference: 'visit me with thy salvation') and Luke 1:68. 'Enter every trembling heart' — Christ comes especially to the fearful and contrite (Isa 66:2).
- Scripture
- 1 John 4:8, 16, John 1:14, John 14:23, Ps 106:4, Luke 1:68, Isa 66:2
- Imagery & language
- Love descending; dwelling; visiting.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — incarnation and indwelling.
- Connection to previous
- Opening invocation.
Breathe your Spirit into troubled hearts; let us inherit and find the promised rest; take away our love of sinning; be Alpha and Omega, the end of faith as its beginning, and set our hearts free.
The Spirit breathed (John 20:22). 'The promised rest' (Heb 4:9-11). 'Take away the love of sinning' — TLH's alteration of Wesley's 'power of sinning'; the prayer is for a new heart that hates sin (Rom 7:22; Ps 51:10), not a claim that believers stop sinning (1 John 1:8). 'Alpha and Omega' (Rev 1:8) and 'End of faith as its beginning' (Heb 12:2, 'the founder and perfecter of our faith') — Christ begins and completes faith (Phil 1:6). 'Set our hearts at liberty' (John 8:36; Gal 5:1).
- Scripture
- John 20:22, Heb 4:9-11, Rom 7:22, 1 John 1:8, Rev 1:8, Heb 12:2, Phil 1:6, John 8:36
- Imagery & language
- Breath; rest; liberty.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — the Spirit's freedom; sanctification.
- Connection to previous
- Prayer for the Spirit.
Come, Almighty, to save; let us all receive your life; return suddenly and never leave your temples again; we would always bless and serve you as the angels do, pray and praise without ceasing, and glory in your perfect love.
'Suddenly return' — Mal 3:1 ('the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple'). 'Thy temples' — believers (1 Cor 3:16). 'Serve Thee as Thy hosts above' — as in the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' 'Pray… without ceasing' (1 Thess 5:17). 'Perfect love' (1 John 4:18) — Christ's love, which is perfect, even when ours is not.
- Scripture
- Mal 3:1, 1 Cor 3:16, Matt 6:10, 1 Thess 5:17, 1 John 4:18
- Imagery & language
- Temples; heavenly hosts; ceaseless praise.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel prayer — presence and service.
- Connection to previous
- Prayer for constant presence.
Finish your new creation; make us pure and spotless; let us see your full salvation perfectly restored in you, changed from glory to glory until we take our place in heaven and cast our crowns before you, lost in wonder, love, and praise.
'New creation' (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) — begun in Baptism, finished in glory (Phil 1:6). 'Pure and spotless' (Eph 5:27; Jude 24). 'Changed from glory into glory' quotes 2 Cor 3:18. 'Cast our crowns before Thee' (Rev 4:10) — even our rewards are returned to God. 'Lost in wonder, love, and praise' — one of the most famous closing lines in English hymnody, describing the beatific vision.
- Scripture
- 2 Cor 5:17, Phil 1:6, Eph 5:27, Jude 24, 2 Cor 3:18, Rev 4:10
- Imagery & language
- New creation; glory to glory; crowns cast down.
- Law / Gospel
- Gospel — consummation.
- Connection to previous
- Eschatological climax.