Hail, sov'reign love that first began
The scheme to rescue fallen man;
Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace
That gave my soul a hiding place.
Against the God that rules the sky
I fought with hand uplifted high;
Despised His rich, abounding grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding place.

Enwrapt in thick, Egyptian night,
And fond of darkness more than light,
Madly I ran the sinful race,
Secure without a hiding place.
But thus th' eternal counsel ran,
"Almighty love, arrest that man;"
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no hiding place.

Indignant justice stood in view,
To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;
But justice cried with frowning face,
“This mountain is no hiding place.”
Ere long a heav'nly voice I heard,
And mercy's angel form appeared;
Who led me on, with gentle pace,
To Jesus as my hiding place.

Should storms of thund'ring vengeance roll,
And shake the earth from pole to pole,
No flaming bolt shall daunt my face,
For Jesus is my hiding place.
A few more rolling suns at most,
Will land me safe on Canaan's coast,
Where I shall sing the song of grace,
And see my glor'ous hiding place.