At Calvary

At Calvary
William R. Newell

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.

Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.

Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

Now I've giv'n to Jesus ev'rything;
Now I gladly own Him as my King;
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary.

Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

O the love that drew salvation's plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

William (Bill) Newell wrote this hymn as his testimony. His father had begged the president of Moody Bible Institute to let his prodigal son attend Moody. After several letters, the president, Dr. R. A. Torrey relented and let Bill come only if he obeyed the rules and met with him on a daily basis. After talking with Torrey for several years Bill later became a professor at Moody Bible Institute. Wanting to write his testimony in verse form, these words came to him on his way to class one day. Bill went on to become a well-known Bible teacher and he is the author of a series of Bible commentaries.

*Hymn history is from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan.