O love of God most free,
Come warm my heart, come fill my soul,
Come lead me unto Thee.
2. Warm as the glowing sun
So shines Thy love on me,
It wraps me ‘round with kindly care,
It draws me unto Thee.
3. The wildest sea is calm,
The tempest brings no fear,
The darkest night is full of light,
Because Thy love is near.
4. O love of God most full,
O love of God most free,
It warms my heart, it fills my soul,
With might it strengthens me.
The hymn "O Love of God Most Full" was penned by Oscar Clute, an American Unitarian minister and educator born in 1837. Clute's ministry spanned several states, including New Jersey, Iowa, and California, and he also served as president of Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) and Florida Agricultural College. His hymn emphasizes the boundless and unconditional love of God, portraying it as a source of warmth, light, and strength for the believer.
The hymn first appeared in The Pilgrim Hymnal in 1904, under the authorship "O. Clute." It has since been included in various hymnals, including the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal.
The text is structured in four stanzas, each beginning with the refrain:
O love of God most full,
O love of God most free,
Come warm my heart, come fill my soul,
Come lead me unto Thee.
The verses describe God's love as radiant as the sun, calming as the sea, and illuminating even the darkest night. The final stanza expresses how God's love strengthens and empowers the believer.
While "O Love of God Most Full" is distinct from the more widely known hymn "The Love of God" by Frederick M. Lehman, both hymns celebrate the immeasurable love of God. Lehman's hymn, written in 1917, includes a third stanza that was reportedly found inscribed on the wall of an insane asylum, attributed to an unknown inmate. This stanza is a translation of an 11th-century Jewish poem by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai.
In summary, "O Love of God Most Full" by Oscar Clute is a heartfelt expression of God's boundless love, offering comfort and strength to believers. Its enduring presence in hymnals attests to its lasting impact in Christian worship
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