Greatness of God's Mercy

One of my favorite forms of devotion is to read and meditate on older hymns. Older hymn writers are able to capture the thoughts of the soul much like David did in his psalms. I own several old hymnals and often find myself turning to them and searching the headings (songs are grouped together by doctrinal content), and I'll find a certain theme is appealing, then I just read hymn after hymn. Today I noticed several that I'll share with you.

Greatness of God's mercy.

My soul, repeat his praise
Whose mercies are so great;
Whose anger is so slow to rise,
So ready to abate.

His power subdues our sins;
And his forgiving love,
Far as the east is from the west,
Doth all our guilt remove.

High as the heavens are raised
Above the ground we tread,
So far the riches of his grace
Our highest thoughts exceed.


The greatness of God.

My God, my king, thy various praise
Shall fill the remnant of my days;
Thy grace employ my humble tongue,
Till death and glory raise the song.

The wings of every hour shall bear
Some thankful tribute to thine ear;
And every setting sun shall see
New works of duty done for thee.

Thy truth and justice I'll proclaim;
Thy bounty flows and endless stream;
Thy mercy swift, thine anger slow,
But dreadful to the stubborn foe.

Thy works with sovereign glory shine
And speak thy majesty divine;
Let every realm with joy proclaim
The sound and honor of thy name.

Let distant times and nations raise
The long succession of thy praise;
And unborn ages make the song
The joy and labor of their tongue.

But who can speak thy wondrous deeds;
Thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds;
Vast and unsearchable thy ways,
Vast and immortal be thy praise.


The faithfulness of the promises.

Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme,
And speak some boundless thing;
The mighty words, or mightier name,
Of our eternal King.

Tell of his wondrous faithfulness,
And sound his power abroad;
Sing of the glory and the grace
Of our Redeemer God.

Proclaim salvation from the Lord,
Nor wretched, dying men;
His hand has writ the sacred word,
With an immortal pen.

Recorded by eternal love,
The mighty promise shines;
Nor can the powers of darkness 'rase
Those everlasting lines.

His every word of grace is strong
As that which built the skies;
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.

O might I hear thy heavenly tongue
But whisper, 'Thou art mine;'
Those gentle words should raise my song
To notes almost divine.