There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy

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 Heav­en;

There is no place where earth’s fail­ings

Have such kind­ly judg­ment giv­en.

There is wel­come for the sin­ner

And more grac­es for the good;

There is mer­cy with the Sav­ior;

There is heal­ing in His blood.

There is grace enough for thou­sands

Of new worlds as great as this;

There is room for fresh cre­ations

In that up­per home of bliss.

For the love of God is broad­er

Than the mea­sure of our mind;

And the heart of the Eter­nal

Is most won­der­ful­ly kind.

There is plen­ti­ful re­demp­tion

In the blood that has been shed;

There is joy for all the mem­bers

In the sor­rows of the Head.

’Tis not all we owe to Je­sus;

It is some­thing more than all;

Greater good be­cause of ev­il

Larger mer­cy through the fall.

If our love were but more sim­ple

We should take Him at His word;

And our lives would be all sun­shine

In the sweet­ness of our Lord.

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?

It is God: His love looks migh­ty

But is migh­ti­er than it seems;

’Tis our Fa­ther: and His fond­ness

Goes far out be­yond our dreams.

But we make His love too nar­row

By false lim­its of our own;

And we mag­ni­fy His strict­ness

With a zeal He will not own.

Was there ev­er kind­er shep­herd

Half so gen­tle

half so sweet

As the Sav­ior who would have us

Come and ga­ther at His feet?