It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine

C134 CB154 E154 F28 G154 K134 LSM30 P77 R116 S77 T154
1
It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine,
My Savior, Jesus; yet this soul of mine
Would of Thy love in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
    Know more and more.
2
It passeth telling, that dear love of Thine,
My Savior, Jesus; yet these lips of mine
Would fain proclaim to sinners, far and near,
A love which can remove all guilty fear,
    And love beget.
3
It passeth praises, that dear love of Thine,
My Savior, Jesus; yet this heart of mine
Would sing that love, so full, so rich, so free,
Which brings a rebel sinner, such as me,
    Nigh unto God.
4
But though I cannot sing, or tell, or know
The fulness of Thy love, while here below,
My empty vessel I may freely bring;
O Thou, who art of love the living spring,
    My vessel fill.
5
I am an empty vessel—not one thought
Or look of love to Thee I've ever brought;
Yet I may come, and come again to Thee,
With this the empty sinner's only plea,
    Thou lovest me.
6
Oh, fill me, Jesus, Savior, with Thy love!
Lead, lead me to the living fount above;
Thither may I, in simple faith draw nigh,
And never to another fountain fly,
    But unto Thee.
7
Lord Jesus, when Thee face to face I see,
When on Thy lofty throne I sit with Thee,
Then of Thy love, in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
    My soul shall sing.
24
James Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

It is important to know many things in the Bible are beyond our ability to understand, but we can still experience them. The love of God is certainly one of these things. It is meant to be experienced. We live by faith in this loving God.


James Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

This hymn was written by Mary Shekleton. It was written in the mid 1800’s and has passed the test of time. Mary was an invalid and house bound. She did not let this stop her. She started a ministry with others with the same restrictions. This was all done by correspondence. I find this to be inspiring in its self. I’m sure this hymn about her desire to be filled with the love of God strikes a chord with many. “I am an empty vessel not one thought or look of love to thee I’ve ever brought, but I may come and come again to thee with this the empty sinners only plee thou loves me”. These are powerful words!


Josephine Kabila

Lusaka, Zambia

Lovely, the song most of us struggled to sing yesterday after the breaking of bread meeting. So I searched for this so I practice singing it well. I have shared with my children so we can practice together.

Thank you so much.


Maurice Ward

Irving, Texas, United States

What a revelation!

But though I cannot sing, or tell, or know

The fulness of Thy love, while here below,

My empty vessel I may freely bring;

O Thou, who art of love the living spring,

My vessel fill.

Ephesians 3:8 speaks of the unsearchable riches. All the day long I kept waiting to feel or sense these riches. But to be unsearchable means without trace, beyond comprehension. We cannot simply find these riches in feelings or mind. We just need to receive by faith and enjoy in our mingled spirit.

Hallelujah it passes knowledge, so may we freely bring our empty vessels to be filled.


Angeline Walton

Solihull, West Midlands, United Kingdom

A wonderful song! Full of Truth

To know that love of Jesus

MORE AND MORE, so be it Lord 🙏


Alyssa Lasnier

Mission Viejo, California, United States

I love this song even if I am only nine it’s so sweet and I love the Lord and I also love the tune and when I first heard this song I loved and kept in singing it and now it is stuck in my head. I bet my hole family will love this song because my family is Christian hope all of you love this song too!


Jlin

McKinney, TX, United States

My soul shall sing


Janet Ubom

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

One of my favorites. Brings me back to the reality of the gospel!


Joyce

Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa

I love this song cause our Father's love is free. Although I come to Him again and again, He accept me . I could sing it over and over again. Amen!


Princess Jona

Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

I would like to say "when at His lofty Throne I bow the knee" A sinner like me is not worthy to sit with Jesus. I have loved the song since I first sang it at Clarkebury Institution in 1971.

Some hymns may be in the same category and of the same subject but have a different feeling. Every hymn has its feeling. For example, "It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine" (Hymns, #154) is a hymn for remembering the Lord and has the Lord's love as its subject. The feeling of this hymn is fine, sweet, and tender. The feeling of other hymns may not be as fine as this one, even though their subject is the Lord's love. Some hymns have a fine feeling and are also poetic. Other hymns, however, may not be poetic. In learning the hymns, we need to know their categories and subject so that we can further distinguish them according to their feeling.

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