The mystery of Godliness,
How great, how wonderful indeed !
That Thou shouldst take the form of man
And stoop to suffer, die, and bleed.

We cannot comprehend it, but
Thy Word is very truth we know.
We wonder as the angels did
That such as Thou couldst stoop so low.

Thou, Heir of all things! yea, by whom
The worlds that are were called to be:
The image of God's person, and
Upholding all things powerfully.

And when Thou hadst created them,
Thou gav'st Thyself, O Lord, for us,
And purged our sin and guiltiness
By dying on a felon's cross.

And now from depths unfathomable,
My risen Lord who came to die,
Is given the highest seat in heaven –
The right of Majesty, on high.

Yea, God was manifest in flesh!
Th' angelic hosts with wonder saw
The mystery, nor questioned it,
But looked, amazed, with holy awe.

Thy majesty, Thy lowliness,
Thy love so undeserved by us,
Thy mercy,- grace, and faithfulness –
For these we gave Thee but a cross!

If it were not for Thy love, O Lord,
I could not look Thee in the face:
My sins had shamed me so that
I Should feel forever my disgrace.

If it were not for Thy mercy, yea,
Thy judgments had overpowered me;
But now I fear them not, for I
Am safely hidden, Lord, in Thee.
If it were not for Thy grace, I'd lain
Forever in my misery;
I'll never cease to thank Thee, Lord,
That Thou didst stoop to pity me.

And, but for Thine almighty power,
I'd been a witless wandering sheep,
At mercy of the elements,
Didst Thou in watchfulness not keep.

And if Thou hadst not risen again,
What darkness dread for me had been!
I shudder at the hopelessness,
For I had still been in my sin.

But, praise Thy great and glorious Name,
My sins are all forgiven and gone;
And I but wait the glorious end,
The while I sing and journey on.

Oh, mystery of mysteries!
The cross (for Thee that dreadful place)
Shall on my earthly pathway shed
Its glory, till I see Thy face.

Eternity will be too short
To fathom this deep mystery;
But through eternal ages, Lord,
With joy I'll search it out with Thee. H. McD