Skip to content

A copy of Advent Hymnals. Open this page on adventhymnals.org →

Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 54

Eternal light of love divine

Music: William TansurTune: RothwellL.M.

Studio

1Eternal light of love divine, In Jesus, God with us, displayed, How bright thy
beaming glory shines! How wide thy healing streams are spread!

2With whom dost thou delight to dwell?
Sinners, a vile, thankless race!
O God, what tongue aright can tell
How vast thy love, how great thy grace?

3The humble souls that seek thy face,
With thy salvation blest, shall prove
The sweet delight of thy sovereign will
With joy our grateful hearts receive;
All thy commands we would fulfill,
Lord, all we are, to thee we give.

4To thy benign, indulgent care,
Our flesh, soul, spirit, we would bring;
O let thy sacred presence there
And soul the blessed tribute bring!

Meter
L.M.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 61% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Eternal light of love divine,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
In Jesus, God with us, displayed,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8B
How bright thy beaming glory shines!////˘/˘/8C
How wide thy healing streams are spread!////˘/˘/8D

Verse 2

With whom dost thou delight to dwell?˘˘//˘/˘/8A
Sinners, a vile, thankless race!/˘˘//˘/7B
O God, what tongue aright can tell˘/˘/??˘/8A
How vast thy love, how great thy grace?////////8B

Verse 3

The humble souls that seek thy face,˘/˘/˘///8A
With thy salvation blest, shall prove˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
The sweet delight of thy sovereign will˘/˘/˘//˘˘9C
With joy our grateful hearts receive;˘//˘/˘/˘/9D
All thy commands we would fulfill,//˘/˘˘˘/8C
Lord, all we are, to thee we give.//˘˘˘/˘/8E

Verse 4

To thy benign, indulgent care,˘/˘///˘/8A
Our flesh, soul, spirit, we would bring;˘///˘˘˘/8B
O let thy sacred presence there˘///˘/˘/8A
And soul the blessed tribute bring!˘/˘//˘/7B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.