O Thou Who Camest from Above

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O Thou who camest from above

Author: Charles Wesley (1762)
Published in 171 hymnals

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Representative Text

1 O thou who camest from above
the fire celestial to impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
on the mean altar of my heart!

2 There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return
in humble prayer and fervent praise.

3 Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
to work, and speak, and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up the gift in me.

4 Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat;
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make the sacrifice complete.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #258

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O Thou who camest from above
Title: O Thou Who Camest from Above
Author: Charles Wesley (1762)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Source: Adapt.: Jubilate Hymns
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

O Thou Who camest from above. C. Wesley. [For Holiness, and for Earnestness in Work.] Published in his Short Hymns, &c, 1762, vol. i. p. 57, in 2 stanzas of 8 lines. (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. ix. p. 58). It was included in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780, No. 318, and has become one of the most popular hymns in the Methodist denominations. To some hymnbook compilers the opening lines of stanza ii.,

"There let it for Thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze,"

have presented difficulties which have caused its omission from many collections. Bishop E. H. Bickersteth, in his Hymnal Companion, has done much towards removing this difficulty by rendering the lines:—

"There let it for Thy glory burn
Unquenched, undimmed in darkest days."

This reading has been adopted by others. Bp. Bickersteth's note thereto explains the cause and meaning of the change:—

" The Editor believes that this admirable hymn would have been far more popular if it had not been for the very long word 'inextinguishable.' Words of five syllables must be admitted into hymns sparingly; but for a whole congregation to be poised on six, practically leads to a hymn being passed by. It is hoped that the line given in the text, which only paraphrases the same thought, will be allowed."

In Martineau's Hymns, 1840, and 1873, the opening line of this hymn is changed to "O Thou, Who deignest from above."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

HEREFORD (Wesley)


WILTON (Stanley)


WAREHAM (Knapp)

William Knapp (b. Wareham, Dorsetshire, England, 1698; d. Poole, Dorsetshire, 1768) composed WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "coun…

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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 171)

A Church of England Hymn Book #209

A Collection of Hymns Adapted to the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d461

A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Generally Used at Camp and Prayer Meetings #d173

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d642

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d646

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d645

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #625

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A Collection of Hymns for the use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in America #572

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #141

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #141

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. with a Supplement #d469

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists, with a Supplement #327

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A Collection of Hymns #L311

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A Collection of Hymns #141

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A Collection of Hymns #326

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns #151

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A Missionary Hymn Book #29

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A Pocket Hymn-Book #CCC

An Nou Chanté! #34

Text

Ancient and Modern #258

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #580

Australian Hymn Book #486

Christian Praise #d273

Christian Youth Hymnal #263

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #639

Church Hymnal, Fourth Edition #563

Church Hymnal, Third Edition #535

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Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #625

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Common Praise (1998) #624

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Common Praise #191

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Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #541a

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Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #541b

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Complete Mission Praise #525

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CPWI Hymnal #538

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Deutsches Lieder- und Melodienbuch #a343

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Faith Hymns (New ed.) #288

Family and Social Melodies #d262

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Free Methodist Hymnal #483

Gospel Tent Hymns #d136

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Gospel Tent Hymns #68

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #515

Hymn Book of the Colored M.E. Church in America #d394

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d394

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #515

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Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #207

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools. 3rd ed. #d237

Hymnal for Sunday School and Social Worship #d155

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #562

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Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church #562

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Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #166

Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada with Accompanying Tunes #d229

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Hymns Ancient and Modern (Standard ed.) #698

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Edition #457

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #233

Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised #329

Hymns and Psalms #745a

Hymns and Psalms #745b

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Hymns and Songs #193

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Hymns and Tunes #343

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Hymns for Christian Melody #674

Hymns for Sunday Schools, Selected from Various Authoors #d164

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #572

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #552

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Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #596

Hymns of Faith and Life #304

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Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #625

Hymns Old and New #392

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Hymns selected from various authors #565

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Hymns #90

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #d617

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #145

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Methodist Hymn-Book #418

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New Hymn and Tune book #199b

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New Hymn and Tune Book #199b

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Our New Hymnal #412

Pocket Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d198

Pocket Hymn Book, Designed as a Constant Companion. 25th ed. #d196

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Prayer and Praise #78

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Salvation Army Music #280

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Salvation Army Songs #416

Sing Glory #560

Singing the Faith #564a

Singing the Faith #564b

Songs of Pilgrimage, a Hymnal for the Churches of Christ, Part I #d184

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Songs of Pilgrimage #107

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Songs of Praise #138

Songs of praise #256

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Songs of Salvation #104

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Songs of Victory #176

The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #375

The African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymn Book #d334

The American Hymn and Tune Book #d598

The Australian Hymn Book with Catholic Supplement #486a

The Australian Hymn Book with Catholic Supplement #486b

The Book of Hymns #d377

The Book of Praise #d268

The Book of Praise #460

The Book of Praise #492a

Pages

Exclude 140 pre-1979 instances
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