Behold how good a thing

1
Behold how good a thing
It is to dwell in peace;
How pleasing to our King,
This fruit of righteousness;
When brethren all in one agree,
They know the joy of unity!
2
When all are sweetly joined
(True followers of the Lamb),
They're one in heart and mind,
They think and speak the same;
When all in love together dwell;
The comfort is unspeakable!
3
Where unity takes place,
The joys of heav'n we prove;
This is the gospel grace,
The unction from above;
The Spirit on all saints is shed,
Descending swift from Christ the Head.
4
Where unity is found,
The sweet anointing grace
Extends to all around,
And shines from every face;
To every praising saint it comes,
And fills him with divine perfumes.
5
On all His chosen ones
The precious oil comes down:
Anointing as it runs,
Anointing on and on.
E'en to His skirts (the meanest name
That longs to love the bleeding Lamb).
6
From Aaron's beard it rolls,
(Those nearest to His face),
The humble, trembling souls
Who know abundant grace;
The grace, the grace for all is free,
For, lo, it reaches now to me!
(Repeat the last line of each stanza)
2
James Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

This adapted hymn should have been credited to Charles Wesley because the main thought is clearly from his original hymn.

I like the 6th stanza. It is clearly talking about the Spirit’s anointing. This is the bases or ground our oneness. The Spirit comes to those who seek His face. Even when we are like a beard which is not alive. We must be the humbled trembling souls that know abundant grace. We should not be the proud ones who say we have it all. It is by grace that we can be one. And this ointment reaches down to all that will receive it. Psalms 105:4 we must look to the Lord and seek His face. This is grace which can make us one.


Steve Miller

Detroit, Michigan, United States

This hymn is written by Charles Wesley in 1743 and has more verses:

stanza 1: last line originally says "who knows the joys of unity!

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stanza 2 slightly different in original:

When all are sweetly join'd

(True followers of the Lamb,

The same in heart and mind, )

and think and speak the same,

and all in love together dwell;

the comfort is unspeakable.

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stanza 3 line 5 originally said "believers" instead of "saints is". "saints is" fits the meter better.

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stanza 4 lines 4-6 are different:

And overspreads the place;

to every waiting soul it comes,

and fills it with divine perfumes.

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stanza 4a usually omitted:

Jesus, our great High Priest,

for us the Gift received,

for us, and all the rest,

who have in Him believed;

forth from our Head the blessing goes,

and all His seamless coat o'erflows.

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stanza 5 lines 3-4 originally are:

It runs, and as it runs,

it ever will run on,

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stanza 6 lines 4-5 are different:

who feebly sue for grace:

I know the grace for all is free,

for lo! it reaches now to me.

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stanza 7 :

7 Grace every morning new,

And every night we feel

The soft, refreshing dew,

That falls on Hermon’s hill;

On Zion it doth sweetly fall:

The grace of one descends on all.

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8 E’en now our Lord doth pour

The blessing from above,

A kindly, gracious shower

Of heart-reviving love,

The former and the latter rain,

The love of God, and love of man.

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9 In Him when brethren join,

And follow after peace,

The fellowship divine

He promises to bless,

His chiefest graces to bestow,

Where two or three are met below.

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10 The riches of His grace

In fellowship are giv’n

To Zion’s chosen race,

The citizens of Heav’n;

He fills them with His choicest store,

He gives them life for evermore.