One Cup of Healing Oil and Wine

One cup of healing oil and wine,
One offering laid upon mercy’s shrine,
Is thrice more grateful, Lord, to Thee,
Than lifted eye or bended knee.

In true and inward faith we trace
The source of every outward grace;
Within the pious heart it plays,
A living fount of joy and praise.

Kind deeds of peace and love betray
Where’er the stream has found its way;
But where these spring not rich and fair,
The stream has never wandered there.

Author: Reginald Heber

Year: 1827

This hymn text by Reginald Heber (1783–1826), Bishop of Calcutta, first appeared posthumously in his 1827 collection Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Service of the Year. The imagery and style are characteristic of Heber; no strong alternate attributions exist.