WONDER OF WONDERS

What wonder of wonders! My soul stand amazed,
It beggars all language to tell,
That God should contrive, bring about and complete
How to save a poor sinner from hell.

This makes angels wonder, and wonder they may,
All heaven must wonder at this,
That Christ should come down and on Calvary die,
To bring poor, lost sinners to bliss.

‘Tis a wonder in heaven, ‘tis a wonder in hell,
But this is the wonder of all,
That God should leave angels and choose ruined man,
By nature quite dead in the Fall.

This will be a wonder when time is no more,
Eternity will not erase,
The heavens will ring with the anthems of praise,
With wonders of sovereign grace.

Poor sinners will wonder that they should get safe,
Though hell, sin and Satan oppose,
Though they were so weak and temptations so strong,
Though often beat down by their foes.

But wonder of grace will be better displayed
When sinners get safe into glory;
Each one will be wondering how he got there,
But all will be telling one story.

The wonderful love of a covenant God
Is a wonderful story to tell,
While they gaze on the Saviour, who ransomed their souls,
And wonderfully saved them from hell.

Poor David must wonder when he recollects
What a wonderful sinner was he;
But Peter, and David, and ten thousands more,
Have proved that salvation is free.

What wonder of mercy, what wonder of grace,
What wonder poor Jonah must tell,
When he thinks of the wonders his Jesus once wrought
In dragging his soul out of hell.

Ah! Wonder of wonders will fill every soul
That’s made a partaker of grace,
They wonder below, they wonder above,
They’ll wonder to see Jesus’ face.

There’s Peter and David, Manasseh and Paul,
With wonderful numbers beside
Adoring the wonderful love of their God,
Who once on mount Calvary died.

There’s the poor wretched thief that once hung on the cross,
A victim on Calvary’s tree,
He saw his dear Jesus on Calvary’s mount,
Who saved him most wonderfully free.

Thus wonders on wonders will evermore bring
New glories to God and the Lamb,
Salvation through Jesus each one will proclaim,
For ever adoring the plan.

Each one will acknowledge ‘twas wonderful grace
That saved such a rebel as me;
When Jesus looked on me and bid me to live,
I found that salvation was free.

O wonder ye heavens, and wonder O earth,
This wonderful love who can tell?
God so loved the world that He gave His own Son
To redeem His own chosen from hell.

Of all these great wonders I wonder the most
That I into hell did not fall;
And if Jesus gives what I now have in hope,
‘Twill be the great wonder of all.

I wonder Jehovah has not cut me down,
Such a wonder sinner as I,
But I venture my all on a covenant God,
And there if I die I will lie.

But die I shall not, for this wonderful grace
I know is both sovereign and free,
Poor, self-condemned sinners need not be dismayed,
Since mercy has saved such as me.

No, wonderful grace will do wonderful things,
It saves from a wonderful hell,
And those who are taught by the Spirit of God,
God’s wonders for ever will tell.

They wonder Jehovah should single them out,
And cause them to hear His sweet voice;
They wonder sometimes that their hearts are so hard,
They wonder they cannot rejoice.

And sometimes they wonder they cannot believe,
And wonder what can be the matter,
And thus they go wondering day after day,
And wonder sometimes they’re no better.

Ah! These are the wonders my soul often feels,
For I am a wonder to many;
And those who are blind to the wonders of grace,
Their religion is not worth a penny.

Some wonder at this and some wonder at that,
But this is the wonder of all,
That poor, wretched sinners, redeemed by blood,
Lost nothing by poor Adam’s fall.

For wonderful love viewed this wonderful plan
Jehovah has fixed in His Son,
In whom the elected stood save and secure
Ere creation work was begun.

O wonder of wonders, I wonder at this,
That I should be saved this way;
I must have been lost, had it been left to me
But one single farthing to pay.

Then O what a wonder that Jesus should pay
A debt so enormously large,
That all the bright angels in heaven above
Could never have gained my discharge.

And can I but wonder that all this was done
For such a base rebel as me?
Unasked for, unsought for, O wonder, my soul!
All this was done perfectly free.

Then O what a wonder I cannot love more,
Ah! Sure I’m a wonderful sinner;
‘Tis wonderful grave must complete His own work,
Where Jesus has been the beginner.

Ah! God will complete His own wonderful work,
Such wonders as make heaven ring,
That poor, filthy beggars, on dunghills below,
Should be made sons and heirs of a King.

But how they will wonder who heard of the Lamb
And did His salvation reject,
Who often have sneered and wondered at those
Who dare to say they were elect!
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Daniel Herbert (1751-1833)

Daniel Herbert uses the word “wonderful” meaning “to be amazed at,” but now and again in a bad sense.