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)
1
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!

------------

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.

---------------

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

-------------

stanza 4 lines 4-6 are different:

And overspreads the place;

to every waiting soul it comes,

and fills it with divine perfumes.

---------------

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.

------------------

stanza 5 lines 3-4 originally are:

It runs, and as it runs,

it ever will run on,

----------------

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.

---------------

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.

------------------

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.

----------------

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.

-------------

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.