O Lord, who now art seated
James G. Deck
Above the heavens on high,
The gracious work completed,
For which thou cam’st to die,
To thee our hearts are lifted,
While pilgrims wandering here,
For thou alone art gifted,
Our every weight to bear.
We know that thou hast bought us,
And washed us in thy blood;
We know thy grace has brought us,
As kings and priests to God.
We know that soon the morning,
Long looked for, hasteth near,
When we, at thy returning,
In glory shall appear.
O Lord, thy love’s unbounded!
So full, so sweet, so free!
Our thoughts are all confounded,
Whene’er we think on thee:
For us thou cam’st from heaven,
For us to bleed and die;
That, purchased and forgiven,
We might ascend on high.
O let this love constrain us,
To give our hearts to thee:
Let nothing henceforth pain us,
But that which paineth thee.
Our joy, our one endeavour,
Through suffering, conflict, shame—
To serve thee, gracious Saviour,
And magnify thy name.
This hymn is from J. C. Ryle’s little book Spiritual Songs, published in 1849, when he was rector of Helmingham, Suffolk. The hymns Ryle selected were not found in the most common hymnbooks of the day.
Suggested tune: Lancashire (“Lead on, O King eternal”).
Download a .pdf file of the hymnal.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
