Worship — Adoration of Christ

Jesus, the very thought of thee

No. 117
Metre C. M.
Tune ST. AGNES.
Words Bernard of Clairvaux.
Music John B. Dykes.
Key G major
Time 3/4
5 stanzas

Words

Jesus, the very thought of thee,With sweetness fills the breast;But sweeter far thy face to see,And in thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,Nor can the memory findA sweeter sound than Jesus' name,The Saviour of mankind.

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!

But what to those who find? Ah! thisNor tongue nor pen can show:The love of Jesus,—what it is,None but his loved ones know.

Jesus, our only joy be thou,As thou our prize wilt be;In thee be all our glory now,And through eternity.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «117», tune name «ST. AGNES. C. M.» centred over the music, «John B. Dykes.» at the right (capitals and small capitals); running head «WORSHIP—ADORATION OF CHRIST.». Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «Je-». Stanzas 2–5 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the reference line «227, 80, 183.» in italics (= may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 227, 80 or 183). «Bernard of Clairvaux.» in italics after stanza 5 (a handwritten «(1091-1153)» beside it and a pen stroke under it are manuscript additions of this copy, not transcribed). The print sets a thin space before «!», «?» and «:» («heart !», «meek !», «art !», «seek !», «find ?», «Ah !», «show :»); it is closed up here. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print.