Lord, whose love, in power excelling

Representative Text

1 Lord! whose love, in power excelling,
Washed the leper’s stain away,
Jesus! from Thy heavenly dwelling,
Hear us, help us, when we pray!

2 From the filth of vice and folly.
From infuriate passion’s rage,
Evil thoughts and hopes unholy.
Heedless youth and selfish age;

3 From the lusts whose deep pollutions
Adam’s ancient taint disclose.
From the Tempter’s dark intrusions,
Restless doubt and blind repose;

4 From the miser’s cursèd treasure,
From the drunkard’s jest obscene,
From the world, its pomp and pleasure,
Jesus! Master! make us clean!

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #12067

Author: Reginald Heber

Reginald Heber was born in 1783 into a wealthy, educated family. He was a bright youth, translating a Latin classic into English verse by the time he was seven, entering Oxford at 17, and winning two awards for his poetry during his time there. After his graduation he became rector of his father's church in the village of Hodnet near Shrewsbury in the west of England where he remained for 16 years. He was appointed Bishop of Calcutta in 1823 and worked tirelessly for three years until the weather and travel took its toll on his health and he died of a stroke. Most of his 57 hymns, which include "Holy, Holy, Holy," are still in use today. -- Greg Scheer, 1995… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Lord, whose love, in power excelling
Author: Reginald Heber
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Lord! Whose love in [and] power excelling. Bishop R. Heber. [Epiphany.] Appeared in his posthumous Hymns, &c., 1827, p. 35, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines. It is based on a part of the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany (the healing of the Leper). It is in common use in Great Britain and America, and usually without alteration.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

MERTON (Monk)

William H. Monk (b. Brompton, London, England, 1823; d. London, 1889) composed MERTON and published it in The Parish Choir (1850). The tune has been associated with this text since the 1861 edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern. The tune's title is thought to refer to Walter de Merton, founder of Mert…

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SICILIAN MARINERS

SICILIAN MARINERS is traditionally used for the Roman Catholic Marian hymn "O Sanctissima." According to tradition, Sicilian seamen ended each day on their ships by singing this hymn in unison. The tune probably traveled from Italy to Germany to England, where The European Magazine and London Review…

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Timeline

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The Cyber Hymnal #12067
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The Cyber Hymnal #12067

Include 5 pre-1979 instances
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