Lyrics
Hail Sovereign love which first began,
This scheme to rescue fallen man;
Hail Sovereign free eternal grace,
That gave my soul a hiding place.
Against the God who rules the sky,
I fought with hand uplifted high,
Despised the mention of His grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding place!
Enwrapped 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 heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy's angel soon appeared.
He led me on with gentle pace,
To Jesus Christ, my hiding place.
Should storms of sevenfold vengeance roll,
And shake this earth from pole to pole;
No flaming bolt could daunt my face,
For Jesus is my hiding place.
On Him almighty vengeance fell,
That must have sunk a world to hell;
He bore it for a chosen race,
And thus became their hiding place.
A few more rolling suns at most,
Shall land me safe on Canaan's coast
There I shall sing the song of grace,
To Jesus Christ, my hiding place!
Exalt the Lord, His praise proclaim,
Let ev'ry saint now raise His name
Forever more we'll see His face,
The Face of Christ our Hiding Place
Song History & Meaning
Composer / Hymnodist: Jehoida Brewer
Before we even recognized our need for a Savior, God’s sovereign love had already prepared a sanctuary for us. Even when we walked in pride, stubbornly choosing darkness over His light, His relentless grace refused to let us go. Jesus became our ultimate hiding place, taking our judgment and welcoming us into eternal peace. Today, lay down your self-reliance and rest in the joyful assurance that you are fully known, deeply loved, and forever secure in Him.
📖 Related Scripture Passages:
- Ephesians 2:4-5: “but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
- Psalm 32:7: “You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.”
- Romans 5:8: “But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”