The very thought of Jesus thrills

1.The very thought of Jesus thrills
With transports sweet this heart of mine,
But, oh! what joy, what rapture fills
The soul that sees His face divine.

2.No sweeter sound can soothe the ear
The voice no sweeter song can sing,
No sweeter thought the soul can cheer,
Than Jesus, Son of heaven's King.

3.Jesus, the sinner's hope of grace,
To all who ask how loving kind!
How good to all who seek Thy Face!
But what, oh, what to them that find!

4.O Jesus, sweetness of my heart,
The Fount of life, and light, and love,
To me the joy of joys Thou art,
A joy all hope and thought above.

5.Nor tongue nor pen can ever tell,
How eloquent soe'er they be,
'Tis only he that loves Thee well
Can know the joy of loving Thee.

6.I'll seek Him where He loves to hide,
Within the cloister of my breast,
I'll seek at home, I'll seek outside,
I'll seek with love that cannot rest.

7.With Mary, at the dawn of day,
I'll seek the tomb where Jesus lies,
In spirit, not with eyes of clay,
Lamenting with Love's plaintive cries.

8.My tears upon the stone shall beat,
My sobs and groans shall fill the place,
I'll cast me down at Jesus' Feet
And clasp them close in fond embrace.

9.How good a King our Jesus is!
How great a Conqueror of hell!
All beautiful Whate'er is His
And sweet beyond my power to tell.

10.Stay with us still, Lord Jesus, stay,
To guide our steps life's desert through,
Drive from our souls sin's mists away
And let Thy love the world subdue.

11.The sun of truth shines bright and clear
Within the soul where Thou art guest,
How vile the things of earth appear
When Thy sweet love inflames the breast.

12.The love of Jesus brings delight
And ravishment exceeding great,
Its tenderness no man aright,
Though thousand-tongued, can celebrate.

13.His Passion is a proof of this,
His streaming Wounds attest the same,
Whereby He bought us heaven's bliss
And saved us from the vengeful flame.

14.Acknowledge Jesus, mortals all;
The grace to love Him boldly claim;
With fervor seek Him, great and small,
And let the search your hearts inflame.

15.Yea, love Him Who so loveth you,
Let love's debt liquidated be,
Give love for love and in return
The odor of His charity.

16.O Jesus, Source of clemency,
Our only joy and hope Thou art;
All grace and sweetness flows from Thee,
The true delight of every heart.

17.Jesus, my Treasure, let me feel
The fullest force of love divine,
Oh, let me in Thy presence kneel
And see the glory that is Thine!

18.I cannot speak in worthy wise
Of Thee, yet shall not silent be;
Thy skill and daring love supplies,
For all my soul is set on Thee.

19.O Jesus, O Lord, a mystic meat,
Which brings no weariness to mind;
It fills us with refreshment sweet,
Yet leaves the hunger still behind.

20.For he that eats Thee hungers still,
Who drinks Thee feels intenser thirst,
One only good attracts his will
With him his Jesus last and first.

21.How Jesus savours none can tell
But he whom love possesses whole;
How blest who Jesus loves so well
That all things else disgust his soul!

22.O Jesus, name to angels dear,
As honey in the mouth Thou art,
As sweetest music in the ear,
As heavenly nectar to the heart.

23.I'm weary waiting, Jesus mine;
My coming; when, when shall it be?
When shall Thy Face upon me shine?
When shall my soul be filled with Thee?

24.Thy love which ever in me lives,
With languor constant grieves the mind,
But joyous is the pledge it gives
Of life, by limits none confined.

25.O Jesus, boundlessly benign!
O Goodness inexpressible!
Let love my heart unite with Thine
Who canst alone its hunger still.

26.How good to love and seek Thee, yea,
And for Thy sake all else disown!
To die to self, that so I may
Sweet Jesus, live for Thee alone!

27.O Jesus, sweetness over all,
The love-sick soul's one remedy,
These tears of love upon Thee call,
My inmost heart cries out for Thee.

28.For Thee I pine in every place,
And languish for Thy presence sweet;
What bliss whene'er I see Thy Face!
What joy when I may clasp Thy Feet!

29.Then such caresses, such delights
As make all other savors sour!
For Jesus then Himself unites
The soul to one short-lived hour.

30.What longs I've sought I now can see,
I've reached the goal of my desire;
I languish, Lord, with love of Thee,
And all my soul seems set on fire.

31.When love divine to this attains,
No passion can oppose its sway,
It never dies, it never wanes,
But stronger grows from day to day.

32.Thy love, O Jesus, ne'er can lose
Its heat, but burns for ever bright;
Its savor, wondrous sweet, imbues
And fills the soul with pure delight.

33.This love, descending from the pole,
Abides in me, a violent goad,
It sets on fire my very soul,
And makes a heaven in my breast.

34.O happy flame of charity!
O blissful ardor of desire!
O love of God's sweet Son! In thee
I shelter safe from passion's fire.

35.O Virgin's Offspring, Jesus mine!
My sole delight and dearest love!
To Thee be praise and power divine,
Be Thine the kingdom bright above!

36.Come, come Lord Jesus, best of kings,
A brighter radiance on us cast,
Come, Source whence light eternal springs,
So long desired, come, come at last.

37.Thy brightness, Jesus, shames the sun,
No fragrance can with Thine compete,
Thy loveliness the palm hath won,
Than sweetness self Thou art more sweet.

38.Thy savour, Lord, gives such delight,
Thy perfume is so sweet withal,
My love-sick soul longs for the sight
Of Thee, Who art her all in all.

39.For Thou love's consummation art,
The bliss and sunshine of my mind,
The pride and glory of my heart,
O Jesus, Savior of mankind.

40.Resist Thee at the Father's Right,
Beloved Lord, Thy work is done;
Thy foes Thou hast subdued with might,
And now enjoy the kingdom won.

41.Yet we can never parted be,
For Thou hast stol'n away my heart:
Go where Thou wilt, I'll follow Thee,
Sweet Lord, who all my glory art.

42.Lift up your gates and run to meet,
Ye angels all, your King and mine;
And thus the glorious Victor greet:
"Hail Jesus, hail our King divine."

43.Great King of glory, Lord of might,
Immortal Conqueror of hell,
Sole Splendor of the land of light,
And giver of all grace as well;

44.Yea, mercy's never-failing source,
Eternal Brightness of the blest:
Drive clouds and sadness from our course
And let Thy light upon us rest.

45.The angels with unwearying voice
Shall sing Thy praises evermore,
For that Thou didst the world rejoice
And peace 'twixt God and man restore.

46.The Prince of peace is Jesus mine,
Of peace no mind can comprehend;
For this my soul shall ever pine,
To this do all her strivings tend.

47.Our Jesus has the skies resought,
To rule as King o'er friends and foes,
And my poor heart has with Him brought,
Which follows Him wher'er He goes.

48.Oh, let us honor Him with prayer,
With praise, and vows, and hymns of love,
That through His mercy we may share
His glory in the realms above.