1
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
2
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,
O Savior of mankind!
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,
O Savior of mankind!
3
O Hope of every contrite heart,
O Joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
O Joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
4
But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is
None but His loved ones know.
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is
None but His loved ones know.
5
O Jesus! light of all below!
Thou fount of life and fire!
Surpassing all the joys we know,
And all we can desire.
Thou fount of life and fire!
Surpassing all the joys we know,
And all we can desire.
6
No other source have we but Thee,
Soul-thirst to satisfy.
Exhaustless spring! the waters free!
All other streams are dry.
Soul-thirst to satisfy.
Exhaustless spring! the waters free!
All other streams are dry.
7
Jesus, our only Joy be Thou,
As Thou our Prize wilt be;
Jesus, be Thou our Glory now,
And through eternity.
As Thou our Prize wilt be;
Jesus, be Thou our Glory now,
And through eternity.
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Detroit, MI
Born in Yately, Hampshire, England, Edward Caswall was ordained in the Anglican Church, but in 1847 he resigned his position and joined the Roman Catholic Church. After his wife died in 1849, he was ordained a Catholic priest. His most significant publication was "Lyra Catholica", which contained 197 translations of Latin hymns from the Roman Breviary and other sources. This hymn is one of them. - Songs of the Spirit
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Stanza 5, line 2 originally says: Thou fount of living fire
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There are some additional stanzas which are usually omitted: following stanza 4: O Jesus, King most wonderful Thou Conqueror renowned, Thou sweetness most ineffable In Whom all joys are found!
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When once Thou visitest the heart, Then truth begins to shine, Then earthly vanities depart, Then kindles love divine.
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at the end: Jesus, may all confess Thy Name, Thy wondrous love adore, And, seeking Thee, themselves inflame To seek Thee more and more.
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Thee, Jesus, may our voices bless, Thee may we love alone, And ever in our lives express The image of Thine own.
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O Jesus, Thou the beauty art Of angel worlds above; Thy Name is music to the heart, Inflaming it with love.
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Celestial Sweetness unalloyed, Who eat Thee hunger still; Who drink of Thee still feel a void Which only Thou canst fill.
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O most sweet Jesus, hear the sighs Which unto Thee we send; To Thee our inmost spirit cries; To Thee our prayers ascend.
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Abide with us, and let Thy light Shine, Lord, on every heart; Dispel the darkness of our night; And joy to all impart.
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Jesus, our love and joy to Thee, The virgin’s holy Son, All might and praise and glory be, While endless ages run.
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
I woke this morning thinking of the love of God for us sinful sinners. This hymn came to mind but I only knew the first words of first line. Couldn't rest until I found the rest. The words based on His Word are so deep and precious to all those beautiful believers all over the world in His kingdom of jewels! Reminded of another hymn "Praise The Lord, praise The Lord let the earth hear His voice......!"
Randburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Oh how precious this Hymn. I was ironing my son's clothes and this hymn came into my mind. It so reminded me of my grandmother who used to sing this hymn. Oh that we may go back to singing these wonderful life experiences and hymns in churches again from saints who have gone on before.
Burnaby, BC, Canada
I woke up with this tune in my heart this morning but with the words of Hymn 12, O God Thou Art The Source of Life. We used to sing that Hymn to this tune. This hymn was one of my father's favourites. He used to hum it a lot as we did chores on the farm. Lord the very thought of You awakens within our breast the sweetness of Your blessed presence. Thank You for another day in which we can sing Your praises! May we enjoy a blessed day together. :-))) Amen. Come Lord, Jesus.
Deerfield Beach, FL, United States
I also woke with this song in my spirit.
After morning meditation. I did not know all the verses and wow how deep the theological insight! Thank you for the neat app. 40 years being loved by Jesus and learning to love Him back. The song put many tears on my face today!
Barbados
I woke up this morning with this song playing in my mind. It is such a beautiful song and the words are even more beautiful. May the sentiments they express be the real experience of all who know and love Jesus.
Arlington, Texas
This hymn is a thousand years old and just as relevant today.
Lagos, Nigeria
This is one of the songs that comforts me. When I sing it I feel my love relationship with Jesus. The pure love and the highest love that abides when others flee.
It sounds so beautiful, rings a bell that Jesus is always near.