Scripture Verse

It is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8–9

Introduction

Words: Em­ma M. John­ston, in Show­ers of Bless­ing, ed­it­ed by John R. Swe­ney & Will­iam Kirk­pat­rick (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1888), num­ber 28.

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of John­ston (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
William J. Kirkpatrick
(1838–1921)

Lyrics

There’s no­thing like the old, old sto­ry,
Grace is free, grace is free!
Which saints and mar­tyrs tell in glo­ry,
Grace is free, grace is free!
It brought them thro’ the flood and flame,
By it they fought and ov­er­came,
And now they cry thro’ His dear name,
Grace is free, grace is free!

Refrain

There’s no­thing like the old, old sto­ry,
Grace is free, grace is free!
Which saints and martyrs tell in glo­ry,
Grace is free, grace is free!

There’s on­ly hope in trust­ing Je­sus,
Grace is free, grace is free!
From sin that doomed, He died to free us,
Grace is free, grace is free!
Who would not tell the story sweet
Of love so won­drous, so com­plete,
And fall in rap­ture at His feet,
Grace is free, grace is free!

Refrain

From age to age the theme is tell­ing,
Grace is free, grace is free!
From shore to shore the strains are swell­ing,
Grace is free, grace is free!
And when that time shall cease to be,
And faith is crowned with vic­to­ry,
’Twill sound thro’ all eter­ni­ty,
Grace is free, grace is free!

Refrain