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
Forever on Thy burdened heart
  A weight of sorrow hung,
Yet no ungentle, murm’ring word
  Escaped Thy silent tongue.
3
Thy foes did hate, despise, revile,
  Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
  Thy heart could only love!
2
Ana Lara

Storrs, Connecticut, United States

Edward Denny was born October 2, 1796. He was the fourth baronet of Tralee Castle, County Kerry, and succeeded his father in August 1831.

Although he was born to great wealth, Sir Edward was drawn away early on from worldly pursuits by the reading of “Father Clement. ” When he was ninety years old, he remarked to a friend while they were in his library at West Brompton that the book had been responsible for his conversion. He lived most of the time in London where he ministered in Park Walk Assembly in a quiet and unassuming way. Edward was a writer and his prose was of a prophetical nature. It is however as a hymn writer he will best be remembered. His first publication, “A Selection of Hymns, ” first appeared in 1839, which was followed, a few years later by “Hymns and Poems. ”

Many of Sir Edward’s hymns are in extensive use both in England and America. He passed away in June 1889, at age ninety-three. He was regarded as a kind landlord by the tenants in his estate. Here is a notice which appeared in the press at the time of his death.

“Nearly the whole town of Tralee belonged to him. He had an opportunity twenty years ago, when his leases fell in, of raising his rents to figures that, in some cases, would not have been considered extortionate had they been quadrupled. .... So far as he himself was concerned, a little money went a long way. He gave liberally to the poor in relation to the Brethren. ”

Sir Edward’s hymns and writings show the true meditative spirit of the writer as shown by the stanza of this hymn:

“Thy sympathies and hopes are ours,

We long O Lord, to see

Creation, all—below, above—

Redeem’d and bless’d by Thee.


Steve Miller

Detroit, MI

There are also 2 additional stanzas:

4 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.

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5 One with Thyself, may every eye

In us, Thy brethren, see

The gentleness and grace that spring

From union, Lord, with Thee.

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Also, the original stanza 3, line 1, says "might" instead of "did".