Here are variants on the words that were posted to the old Fasola e-mail group in 1995. As you can see, words similar to those Sandy mentions have a slight precedence over "bear the dreadful curse for my soul" in the first verse. I think these may be the words used in the Cooper Ed. of the Sacred Harp.

The Online Sacred Harp & Southern Harmony both had just one verse, so I think the compilers thought the rest of the words were familiar enough to not need reprinting. The Sacred Harp 1991 ed. verses are the same as in DT. They are a combination of the 2 versions below with a slightly different "death I'm free" verse, so there must have been a fair amount of oral transmission creating the variants. I think the additional verses were probably as in Lloyd's Primitive hymnbook, but I'll need to double check.

The Episcopal Hymnal avoids those uncomfortable words about sin by combining verses 1 & 2 into: "Caused the Lord of bliss to Lay aside his crown for my soul." That's the verse Frank seems to have picked up as well above. Since the compiliers knew about the earlier alternate for verse 1, I wish they had used it instead.

Text of Wondrous Love in Stith Mead's Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1811(?), where 6 verses are given. They are as follows (omitting the usual repetitions):

What wond'rous love is this,
O, my soul!
That caus'd the Lord of Bliss
To send this precious peace,
To my soul!

When I was sinking down,
Sinking down,
Beneath God's rightous frown,
Christ laid aside his Crown,
For my soul!

Ye winged Seraphs fly,
Bear the news,
Like Comets thro' the sky,
Fill vast eternity
With the news!

Ye friends of Zion's King,
Join his praise.
With hearts and voices sing,
And strike each tuneful string,
In his praise!

To God and to the Lamb,
I will sing.
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme,
I will sing!

An while from death I'm free,
I'll sing on.
I'll sing and joyful be,
And through Eternity,
I'll sing on.


Three years later (1814), Silas Mercer Noel included:

What wondrous love is this,
O my soul;
That caus'd the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse,
For my soul.

[sinking down, as above]
[seraphs fly, as above]

To God and to the Lamb,
I will sing,
And to the great *I am*, (** = italicized)
While millions join the theme,
I will sing.

Ye sons of Zion's King,
Join the praise,
With hearts and voices sings,
And strike the tuneful string,
In his praise.

And when from death we're free,
We'll sing on,
We'll sing and joyful be,
And in eternity,
We'll sing on.

And when to that bright world,
We arrive, we arrive,
And when to that bright world,
We arrive,
When to that world we go,
Free from all pain and woe,
We'll join the happy throng,
And sing one, and sing on,
We'll join the happy throng,
And sing on.