When All Thy Mercies, O My God

The Apostle Paul instructed the believers at Colosse to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. That is what I hope to do by explaining the meaning of this hymn, against the backdrop of the Framework of Sovereign Grace.

---

[An automated transcript of the teaching video]

The Apostle Paul instructed the believers at Colosse to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. That’s what I intend to do by explaining the meaning of this hymn—When All Thy Mercies, O My God. I’d like to give an explanation of the hymn against the backdrop of the Framework of Sovereign Grace, which is God’s master plan for the ages.

You’ll notice the hymn was written by Joseph Addison. This man was an 18th century politician and playwright. He also wrote several hymns of which this is one.

This hymn has six stanzas. And before giving an explanation, allow me to read for you the words of the hymn:

1 When all Thy mercies, O my God,

My rising soul surveys,

Transported with the view, I’m lost,

In wonder, love and praise.

Thy providence my life sustained,

And all my wants redressed,

While in the silent womb I lay,

And hung upon the breast.

2 To all my weak complaints and cries,

Thy mercy lent an ear,

Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned,

To form themselves in prayer.

Unnumbered comforts to my soul,

Thy tender care bestowed,

Before my infant heart conceived,

From Whom those comforts flowed.

3 When in the slippery paths of youth,

With heedless steps I ran,

Thine arm unseen conveyed me safe,

And reared me up to man.

Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths,

It gently cleared my way;

And through the pleasing snares of vice,

More to be feared than they.

4 Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss,

Hath made my cup run o’er;

And, in a kind and faithful Friend,

Hath doubled all my store.

Ten thousand thousand precious gifts,

My daily thanks employ;

Nor is the last a cheerful heart,

That tastes those gifts with joy.

5 When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou,

With health renewed my face;

And, when in sins and sorrows sunk,

Revived my soul with grace.

Through every period of my life,

Thy goodness I’ll pursue;

And after death, in distant worlds,

The glorious theme renew.

6 O how shall words with equal warmth,

The gratitude declare,

That glows within my ravished heart?

But thou canst read it there.

Through all eternity to Thee,

A joyful song I’ll raise;

For, oh, eternity’s too short,

To utter all Thy praise!

I think you’ll agree with me that the hymn depicts the providential care of God over every detail of one’s life. Remember, God has an eternal decree, a blueprint for everything He will do in the world and through time. This decree we often call predestination. He predestinates not just people, but events—all things written into the blueprint of God’s eternal plan. Then, when God created time, space, and substance, He takes that decree or blueprint and He brings it about; He unfolds that plan throughout the course of history. Every detail, from the bird which falls from the sky to the ground, to every hair of the head that’s numbered by God— every detail is planned, purposed, and brought to pass by the sovereign Lord.

Now you see, if you and I were to take an hour to reflect upon the winding path our lives have taken from infancy till now, as crooked as that path may be, we would discover irrefutable evidence that the Lord is He who has trodden out the way and led our feet step by step. And that is the message of this hymn,

Stanza 1

“When all Thy mercies, O my God,”

Whatever mercies you and I enjoy upon this earth, they are all flowing from all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, if we be believers. But of course, there are mercies of God under creation, which are common to the entire human race, whatever form these mercies take. Listen, when Thy mercies, O my God,

“My rising soul surveys,”

Watches, views, observes, 

“Transported with the view, I’m lost,

In wonder, love and praise.”

Lost in the wonder of what God does—the benefits He bestows upon my life; His love to me and my praise to him.

“Thy providence my life sustained,

And all my wants redressed,”

He redresses or supplies, remedies, all my wants.

“While in the silent womb I lay,

And hung upon the breast.”

Of my mother—from my infancy, the providence of God was working out His plan for my life.

Stanza 2

“To all my weak complaints and cries,

Thy mercy lent an ear,

Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned,

To form themselves in prayer.

Unnumbered comforts to my soul,

Thy tender care bestowed,

Before my infant heart conceived,

From Whom those comforts flowed.”

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Him below. 

Stanza 3

“When in the slippery paths of youth,

With heedless steps I ran,

Thine arm unseen conveyed me safe,

And reared me up to man.”

Of course, Joseph Addison was a man who wrote this hymn and therefore he refers to himself as a man that was reared up. But, my dear friend, if you be a woman, you may place yourself in these shoes, and this be also your story and testimony, when God with an unseen arm has conveyed you safe and reared you up to adulthood, to manhood, to womanhood!

“Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths,

It gently cleared my way;

And through the pleasing snares of vice,

More to be feared than they.”

Stanza 4

“Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss,

Hath made my cup run o’er;”

All the blessings bestowed upon us throughout life.

“And, in a kind and faithful Friend,

Hath doubled all my store.”

So, there is a sense in which God as Creator bestows all the benefits upon my soul. But there is a special sense in which God is my friend, and that (all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus) is a double portion of blessings bestowed upon me, a believer in Christ.

“Ten thousand thousand precious gifts,

My daily thanks employ;

Nor is the last a cheerful heart,

That tastes those gifts with joy.”

It’s true, my friend. It’s possible to be blessed with all the benefits God bestows upon us, yet we don’t have a cheerful or thankful heart for them. We’re miserable and we’re unthankful. But those of us who have been born again, at least the Spirit of God places in our hearts, both a cheerfulness and a gratitude. And may it please God to always enrich us with that gratitude and cheerfulness as we seek to enjoy all the benefits bestowed upon us by a good and gracious Maker and Redeemer!

Stanza 5

“When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou,

With health renewed my face;”

Oh, when we’re not sick, we take for granted good health. But as we all know, it just takes a moment and we go from good health to bad health. Whether it’s breaking an arm, or slicing open the flesh with a sharp object, or finding ourselves sick with some type of virus or bacteria, or so forth. How we then long to be in good health again. And God does renew our health.

“And, when in sins and sorrows sunk,

Revived my soul with grace.”

It’s true, my friend. It’s not just physical sickness, but spiritual sickness that wears upon our bodies and souls. And we therefore thank God, not only for restored physical health, but when He is pleased to soothe our spirits and restore our spiritual health.

“Through every period of my life,

Thy goodness I’ll pursue;

And after death, in distant worlds,

The glorious theme renew.”

Stanza 6

“O how shall words with equal warmth,

The gratitude declare,

That glows within my ravished (blessed) heart?

But thou canst read it there.

Through all eternity to Thee,

A joyful song I’ll raise;

For, oh, eternity’s too short,

To utter all Thy praise!”

It’s a wonderful hymn, my dear friends, which depicts the blessings of God upon each of us—His creatures—and if we be born again, His children walking through this world. I’m reminded, before closing this little devotion, of the words of Job after he had suffered the anguish of losing so much. He at one point testifies to going forward, but not seeing God in front of him; turning around, and not perceiving the presence of God behind him; looking to the left and to the right, and not seeing the presence of God. Job passed through a period in life where he did not perceive God’s goodness and God’s presence to be with him. And yet, in the midst of that darkness, and that loneliness, this was the testimony of Job. He said, I don’t need to perceive God’s presence and know His blessings, to have the confidence that God knows the way that I take. He’s chosen it, He’s bringing it to pass. And when God has finished this work in my life, while I sit in darkness not knowing His presence, then I shall come forth from that darkness as gold. Job said, God is of one mind. He has one decree, one blueprint, for all history, and no one can change it. And whatever God’s soul desires, whatever He has decreed, even that He is doing throughout my life, throughout the course of history. For, said Job, God performs the thing that is appointed for me and many such things are with Him.

Is that your testimony, my dear friend? Can you say that, if you also are in the midst of darkness, not perceiving the presence and blessings of God, yet, can you say he knoweth the way that I take? If so, then let us sing the words of this hymn.

---

---