What Grace, O Lord, and Beauty Shone

1. What grace, O Lord, and beauty shone
Around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe.

2. Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love.

3. O give us hearts to love like Thee!
Like Thee, O Lord, to grieve
Far more for others’ sins than all
The wrongs that we receive.

4. One with Thyself, may every eye
In us, Thy brethren, see
The gentleness and grace that spring
From union, Lord, with Thee.


These lyrics were written by Edward Denny in 1839.  They are  used with at least three tunes.  The most common seems to be “This Endris Nyght” – a 15th century English carol.  The version I have here is from the Methodist “Book of Hymns” and uses the tune, “Christus, Der Ist Mein Leben”.  It is from Bach Chorale BVW 281, based on a melody by Melchoir Vulpius from around 1600.