Depth of Mercy - Charles Wesley, 1740

     I have this odd thing I do (well, one of many, but never mind that), I enjoy reading old hymnals. I love to gather the wisdom of the musicians and lyricists as they try to give tone and rhythm and understanding to the life of Christ and the life IN Christ. I ran across this Charles Wesley lyric just today, and thought this a beautiful picture of us in Him.

Depth of Mercy
Depth of mercy! Can there be mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear, me the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace, long provoked Him to His face, would not hearken to His calls, grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied, I afresh have crucified, oft profaned His hallowed name, put Him to an open shame.

There for me the Savior stands, shows His wounds and spreads His hands. God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Now incline me to repent, let me now my sins lament, now my foul revolt deplore, weep, believe, and sin no more.

     It is incredible to me, and yet I am as guilty and more, that we can be the recipients of such mercy and grace, and still act the way we do. I can speak only for myself, but I know the darkness that I see in me. It is there, covered only by a thin layer of whitewash. And even with what I see, I know that God knows the depths of my sin even better than I do. How I can stand at even the mention of His name is beyond my comprehension. And yet, even knowing me as He alone can, there is mercy and grace even greater than all my sin, than all the sins of all the world from the beginning of time till eternity. 

     Read those last two lines of the song again. Romans states this fact of grace abounding over and over, just for the asking. There is nothing that can separate us from God's love. He is always there, never leaving or forsaking, even now at our sides. We need only to look and see and believe. As to the sin no more, no one save Jesus Himself ever achieved that. That is why it is so amazing that WHEN we fall (as we will) His grace is still sufficient and more. God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still. Praise His Holy Name.