Adventist Pioneer Library

The Sinner — Repentance and Acceptance

O, how divine, how sweet the joy,

  • No. 440
  • Words John Needham.
  • 3 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

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1

O, how divine, how sweet the joy,When but one sinner turns,And, with an humble, broken heart,His sins and errors mourns!

2

Pleased with the news, the saints belowIn songs their tongues employ;Beyond the skies the tidings go,And heaven is filled with joy.

3

Well pleased the Father sees and hearsThe conscious sinner's moan;Jesus receives him in his arms,And claims him as his own.

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «440» (large) with the reference line «354, 369, 635.» in italics beside it (sing to the tune of hymn 354, 369 or 635); the three stanzas stand at the top of the right column of p. 143, with «John Needham.» in italics after stanza 3. The first line opens «O, HOW»: «O,» in an ordinary capital, «HOW» in small capitals (the small-capital first word of the book's style); written in ordinary type here. The stanza numbers are printed without a period («1» … «3»); written «1.» … here as in the other deliveries of this book. The print sets a thin space before «!» and «;» («mourns !», «employ ;», «moan ;»); it is closed up here. The printer's curly apostrophe is written straight («sinner's»). «an humble» as printed. Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print. No meter is printed (the text is C. M., 8.6.8.6, like the referenced tunes). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Sinner — Repentance and Acceptance · No. 440 · printed page 143
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-01