Souls of Men, Why Will Ye Scatter?

Souls of men

why will ye scat­ter

Like a crowd of fright­ened sheep?

Foolish hearts

why will ye wan­der

From a love so true and deep?

Was there ever kin­der shep­herd

Half so gen­tle

half so sweet

As the Sav­ior who would have us

Come and ga­ther round His feet?

There’s a wide­ness in God’s mer­cy

Like the wide­ness of the sea;

There’s a kind­ness in His jus­tice

Which is more than li­ber­ty.

There is no place where earth’s sor­rows

Are more felt than up in Heav’n;

There is no place where earth’s fail­ings

Have such kind­ly judg­ment giv’n.

There is plen­ti­ful re­demp­tion

In the blood that has been shed;

There is joy for all the mem­bers

In the sor­rows of the Head.

For the love of God is broad­er

Than the mea­sure of man’s mind.

And the heart of the Eter­nal

Is most won­der­ful­ly kind.

Pining souls! come near­er Je­sus

And oh! come not doubt­ing thus

But with faith that trusts more brave­ly

His huge ten­der­ness for us.

If our love were but more sim­ple

We should take Him at His word;

And our lives would all be sun­shine

In the sweet­ness of our Lord.