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Hymns and Tunes 1886 93

There's a wideness in God's mercy

Words: Frederick W. FaberTune: 169, 41, 535

1There'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.

2There is welcome for the sinner,
And more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Saviour;
There is healing in his blood.

3For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man's mind,
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.

4If 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.

Words: Frederick W. Faber
Tune: 169, 41, 535
Also sung to: Wellesley (SDA Hymnal #114)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 8.7.8.7
Foot: trochaic (DUM-da) · 48% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

There's a wideness in God's mercy,/˘/˘˘//˘8A

Like the wideness of the sea;/˘/˘˘˘/7B

There's a kindness in his justice,/˘/˘˘˘/˘8C

Which is more than liberty.˘˘/˘/˘/7B

Verse 2

There is welcome for the sinner,/˘/˘˘˘/˘8A

And more graces for the good;˘//˘˘˘/7B

There is mercy with the Saviour;/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘9C

There is healing in his blood./˘/˘˘˘/7D

Verse 3

For the love of God is broader˘˘/˘/˘/˘8A

Than the measure of man's mind,˘˘/˘˘//7B

And the heart of the Eternal˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8C

Is most wonderfully kind.˘//˘˘˘/7B

Verse 4

If our love were but more simple,˘/˘/˘˘//˘9A

We should take him at his word;˘˘/˘˘˘/7B

And our lives would be all sunshine˘/˘/˘˘///9C

In the sweetness of our Lord.˘˘/˘˘/˘/8D

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.