Songs of Faith that You Should Know: A Debtor to Mercy Alone - Music Ministry, August 2025
- Aug 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Augustus Montague Toplady is a character who has almost all but faded from our modern Christian conscience. Toplady was a staunch Calvinist of the mid 18th century, who bravely fought theological battles against even such venerable men as the brothers Wesley, mainly to challenge their Arminian viewpoint. He was a capable preacher, and a faithful saint who welcomed even his untimely death at a mere 37 years old in saying that it was "a good sign that my death is fast approaching; and, blessed be God, I can add that my heart beats stronger and stronger every day for glory."
Probably his best known hymn to us today is "Rock of Ages" which is found at number 204 in our own green hymnal. It's a beautiful hymn of God's great grace to us, wounded sinners though we be. Sadly, this is the singular text of his that has made it into our hymnal. But he wrote a great many others, many of which are at least as excellent. Never fear, they are not utterly lost. Let us begin to explore together the depths of these great riches. Below I share with you a long-time favorite of mine called, "A Debtor to Mercy Alone".
A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing; nor fear, with Your righteousness on, my person and offering to bring. The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do; my Savior's obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.
The work which His goodness began, the arm of His strength will complete; His promise is yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet. Things future, nor things that are now, nor all things below or above, can make Him His purpose forgo, or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands eternity will not erase; impressed on His heart it remains, in marks of indelible grace. Yes, I to the end shall endure, as sure as the earnest is given; more happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven.
I particularly love the very last line, where the author reminds us of an especially sweet truth. Yes, those saints gone to glory ahead of us are certainly more happy than we can ever be in this earthly life - they are WITH the Lord himself! But, even we still here on earth have the very same sureness, or security, that we are SAVED in Christ Jesus. In that knowledge of salvation, we are JUST AS CERTAIN as the angels, saints, seraphim - indeed the entire company of heaven - that Jesus is Lord, and that He, as a gift of His free grace, has saved us by the power of His Holy Spirit. To that I say, "Yea and Amen!"
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…
Ephesians 2:4-8
Dan Byerly
Director of Music Ministry