English poem
Christian Songs, Song LXVIII
by John Glas (1809–1894)
When God to sinners first displays The glory of his sov'reign grace, So wonderful it seems to them They almost fear 'tis all a dream.
2 Shall sinners, who from day to day Have spurn'd his grace, and gone astray, Yet in his boundless mercy share, And find no reason to despair!
3 And has the Man, God's Fellow, dy'd, And all his justice satisfy'd,— That mercy might flow free to those Who, all their life, have been his foes?
4 Yes, God's well pleased in his Son, Who all our works for us hath done: None may for want of worth complain, Since Jesus dy'd, and rose again.
5 What grace! what boundless grace is this! Like God, and God alone it is! (The vilest in his name may trust) Whiles he forgives, divinely just!
6 Hence fill'd with rapture, we his praise In grateful, joyful songs do raise; And foes surpriz'd sometimes exclaim "The Lord hath done great things for them!"
7 Yes, he hath done great things for us, Whereof we're glad, and glory thus; And well we in his work may boast, For Jesus dy'd to save the lost!
8 O still from Satan's bondage, Lord Do thou deliverance afford: As streams enrich the barren ground, So let thy grace in us be found.
9 And as we need it more and more, May we still see unbounded store, Grace, reigning thro' Christ's worth, may we For us still all sufficient see.
10 For tho' we sow in tears, ere long No sigh shall interrupt our song! When Christ in glory shall appear, We'll, joyful, reap without a tear.
11 For Christ the man, with power to save, Did go forth weeping to the grave; And in the earth this precious seed Himself, the grain of wheat, was laid.
12 Now glorious fruit from him doth spring, Which he'll returning, with him bring; In that glad day his ransom'd throng, Full of his joy, shall come along.
13 He comes! let all his people say Amen—Ev'n so—Lord come away! Soon may thy sheaves be gather'd in, And thy expected reign begin.
14 For thou shalt reign on earth, and we Hope Lord to reign as kings with thee: O may we looking for that day, Spurn every other hope away.