Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine

Hymn lyrics and .mp3 Download

Listen to:
  Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine (.midi)
  Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine (.mp3)
  Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine Bells Version (.mp3)

---

1. Come, let us use the grace divine, and all with one accord, in a perpetual covenant join ourselves to Christ the Lord; Give up ourselves, thru Jesus' power, his name to glorify; and promise, in this sacred hour, for God to live and die.

2. The covenant we this moment make be ever kept in mind; we will no more our God forsake, or cast these words behind. We never will throw off the fear of God who hears our vow; and if thou art well pleased to hear, come down and meet us now.

3. Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let all our hearts receive, present with thy celestial host the peaceful answer give; to each covenant the blood apply which takes our sins away, and register our names on high and keep us to that day!

Words by: Charles Wesley
Music by: English melody;
arr. by Ralph Vaughan Williams

✨ Story of the Hymn “Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine” Charles Wesley (1762)

🕊️ 1. When and Why Wesley Wrote It
Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1762, publishing it in his collection Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures. It originally appeared as three eight‑line stanzas.
The hymn was later included in John Wesley’s influential Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), under the section “For the Society Praying.” This placement shows how central it became to Methodist devotional life.
Though often associated with the Covenant Renewal Service—a Methodist tradition held at the start of the year—there is no direct evidence that Charles Wesley wrote it specifically for that purpose. Still, its themes fit the service so naturally that it became one of its signature hymns.

📖 2. Biblical Foundations
Wesley rooted the hymn deeply in Scripture. Its primary inspiration is Jeremiah 50:5: “Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.”
Other passages shape its language and theology:
Romans 14:8 — living and dying unto the Lord
Joshua 24:16 — Israel’s vow not to forsake the Lord

Later interpreters also note connections to:
Hebrews 10:19–25 — drawing near through Christ’s grace
Jeremiah 31:31–33 — the new covenant written on the heart
Luke 22:19–20 — Christ’s covenant in His blood
Wesley’s hymn is a call to active, grace‑empowered commitment, not passive belief.

🤝 3. The Central Theme: Covenant Commitment
The hymn invites believers to:
Use the grace God provides
Join in a perpetual covenant with Christ
Dedicate themselves to holy living
Renew their vows with sincerity and unity
Wesley emphasizes that covenant faithfulness is possible only through Jesus’ power, not human effort. Grace enables obedience, perseverance, and transformation.
This is why the hymn became so closely tied to Methodist covenant services and the Lord’s Supper.

---