O love, beyond conception great,

That formed the vast, stupendous plan,

Where all divine perfections meet

To reconcile rebellious man:

2 There wisdom shines in fullest blaze,

And justice all her right maintains—

Astonished angels stoop to gaze,

While mercy o’er the guilty reigns.

3 Yes, mercy reigns, and justice too;

In Christ they both harmonious meet;

He paid to justice all her due;

And now he fills the mercy-seat.

Lord, what is man? Extremes how wide

In this mysterious nature join!

The flesh to worms and dust allied,

The soul immortal and divine.

2 Divine at first, a holy flame

Kindled by heaven’s inspiring breath;

Till sin, with power prevailing, came;

Then followed darkness, shame and death.

3 But Jesus, O amazing grace!

Assumed our nature as his own,

Obeyed and suffered in our place,

Then took it with him to his throne.

4 Now, what is man, when grace reveals,

The virtue of a Saviour’s blood?

Again a life divine he feels,

Despises earth and walks with God.

5 And what, in yonder realms above,

Is ransomed man ordained to be!

With honor, holiness, and love,

No seraph more adorned than he.

O love of God, how strong and true!

Eternal and yet ever new:

Above all price, and still unbought;

Beyond all knowledge and all thought.

2 O, wide-embracing, wondrous love,

We read thee in the sky above;

We read thee in the earth below,

In seas that swell and streams that flow.

3 We read thee best in him who came

To bear for us the cross of shame;

Sent by the Father from on high,

Our life to live, our death to die.

4 O love of God, our shield and stay

Through all the perils of the way;

Eternal love, in thee we rest,

For ever safe, for ever blest.

Father! how wide thy glory shines!

How high thy wonders rise!

Known through the earth by thousand signs,

By thousand through the skies.

2 Those mighty orbs proclaim thy power,

Their motions speak thy skill;

And on the wings of every hour,

We read thy patience still.

3 But when we view thy strange design

To save rebellious worms,

Where justice and compassion join

In their divinest forms,

Eternal Wisdom, thee we praise;

Thee all thy creatures sing:

While with thy name, rocks, hills, and seas,

And heaven’s high palace, ring.

2 Thy hand, how wide it spread the sky;

How glorious to behold!

Tinged with a blue of heavenly dye,

And decked with sparkling gold.

3 Almighty power, and equal skill,

Shine through the worlds abroad,

Our souls with vast amazement fill,

And speak the builder, God.

4 But still the wonders of thy grace

Our warmer passions move;

Here we behold our Saviour’s face,

And here adore his love.