Thy Ceaseless, Unexhausted Love

Thy Ceaseless, Unexhausted Love, often known by the line He Waiteth to Be Gracious, is a deeply devotional hymn that reflects Charles Wesley’s strong emphasis on the gracious, patient, and persevering love of God toward sinners. Drawing directly from Isaiah 30:18, the hymn presents the Lord not as reluctant or distant, but as one who waits in mercy, ready to bless, forgive, and restore. Wesley’s language highlights the inexhaustible nature of divine love, a love that is never diminished by human weakness or repeated failure.

The hymn beautifully aligns with the biblical teaching that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23, KJV). Wesley portrays God’s grace as ceaseless and active, continually inviting the sinner to repentance and the believer to deeper trust. This love is not earned by human effort but flows freely from God’s own compassionate character, echoing the psalmist’s confession that the Lord is “plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Psalm 86:15, KJV).

A key theological strength of the hymn is its focus on God’s patience. Wesley emphasizes that God does not abandon His people quickly, nor does He delight in judgment, but rather in mercy. This reflects the apostolic teaching that God’s goodness and longsuffering are meant to lead sinners to repentance (Romans 2:4, KJV). The hymn thus serves both as comfort for the weary believer and as a gentle call to those who have delayed responding to God’s grace.

In worship, Thy Ceaseless, Unexhausted Love functions as a hymn of assurance and humble gratitude. It directs the heart away from self-reliance and toward confidence in God’s abundant mercy, grounded in His eternal purpose of grace in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7, KJV). Through its warm theology and tender tone, the hymn continues to remind the church that God’s gracious waiting is not weakness, but love patiently seeking the salvation and restoration of His people.