--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Grace is more than mercy and love. It…" description: "\"Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png" --- # Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them… ![“Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may do what He will. That may wholly choose whether He will love or no. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He…” quote by Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png) > “Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may do what He will. That may wholly choose whether He will love or no. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would love us or no; for Him to love us, this is Grace.” [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grace is the sovereign’s voluntary, unconditional love that surpasses mercy, allowing divine will to choose love freely. **In simple terms:** Grace is God’s free, supreme love beyond mercy. Key Takeaway Recognize and accept divine generosity. Themes theology grace sovereignty love free will Mood reflective reverent Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal prayer - ethical decision‑making - community support - faith counseling Key Concepts divine love moral agency spiritual humility Questions to Reflect On - What does grace mean in your life? - How do you balance divine love with personal responsibility? A Different Perspective Human free will can conflict with divine determinism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Simply love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simply-love/) [Sovereign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign/) [Transcendent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendent/) ## Related quotes > [“And all must love the human form, In heathen, Turk, or Jew. Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell, There God is dwelling too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/and-all-must-love-the-human-form-in-heathen-turk-or-jew-where-mercy/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“Kill with no mercy, love with suspicion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-langtry/kill-with-no-mercy-love-with-suspicion/) [Leslie Langtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-langtry/) > [There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy - that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/there-is-nothing-more-man-needs-than-divine-mercy-that-love-which-is/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [I have come to know a God of compassion and mercy and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-have-come-to-know-a-god-of-compassion-and-mercy-and-love/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [His justice is the love that gives to each one of His creatures the gifts that His mercy has previously decreed. And His mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/his-justice-is-the-love-that-gives-to-each-one-of-his-creatures-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The ground of mercy is love, and the working of mercy is our keeping in love. And this was shewed in such manner that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-of-norwich/the-ground-of-mercy-is-love-and-the-working-of-mercy-is-our-keeping-2/) [Julian of Norwich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-of-norwich/) > [The ground of mercy is love, and the working of mercy is our keeping in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-of-norwich/the-ground-of-mercy-is-love-and-the-working-of-mercy-is-our-keeping/) [Julian of Norwich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-of-norwich/) > [I love what I know about passion, I love what I know about mercy, I love what I know about patience, I love what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-molina/i-love-what-i-know-about-passion-i-love-what-i-know-about-mercy-i/) [Jason Molina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-molina/) > [To Mercy Pity Peace and Love All pray in their distress, And to these virtues of delight Return their thankfulness. For Mercy Pity Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-mercy-pity-peace-and-love-all-pray-in-their-distress-and-to-these-2/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“hope, in its million different forms, always springs from three primary colors: justice, mercy, and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dahlstrom/hope-in-its-million-different-forms-always-springs-from-three-primary/) [Richard Dahlstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dahlstrom/) > [“Thankfully, God has shown us that hope, in its million different forms, always springs from three primary colors: justice, mercy, and love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dahlstrom/thankfully-god-has-shown-us-that-hope-in-its-million-different-forms/) [Richard Dahlstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dahlstrom/) > ['Mercy,' I love conceptually because I feel like you can either think about it as if it were a girl - which it sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-mendes/mercy-i-love-conceptually-because-i-feel-like-you-can-either-think/) [Shawn Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-mendes/) > [Khesed...mercy...love. It's God's nature, His essence. Don't forget that, through all this, don't forget that. Judgement is His necessity, but His nature and essence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-cahn/khesed-mercy-love-it-s-god-s-nature-his-essence-don-t-forget-that/) [Jonathan Cahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-cahn/) > [For some reason I leave you, There's no mercy to love you back; For some reason I love you, Nothing's should be changed except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-some-reason-i-leave-you-there-s-no-mercy-to-love-you-back-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/do-not-judge-yourself-harshly-without-mercy-for-ourselves-we-cannot/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More by Thomas Goodwin > [ “Thomas Goodwin Jr. wrote of his godly father: In all the violence of \[his fever\], he discoursed with that strength of faith and assurance… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/thomas-goodwin-jr-wrote-of-his-godly-father-in-all-the-violence-of/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively taken, had belonged to us, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-promise-as-abraham-was-nor/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [We have the promise of God's being our God, and of the blessing by Christ for ourselves, as we are Abraham's seed, yet take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-have-the-promise-of-god-s-being-our-god-and-of-the-blessing-by/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [If I were to go to heaven, and find that Christ was not there, I would leave immediately; for heaven without Christ would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/if-i-were-to-go-to-heaven-and-find-that-christ-was-not-there-i-would/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Secondly, He bids his ambassadors declare, that as to that point men need not trouble themselves, nor take care about it; for he himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/secondly-he-bids-his-ambassadors-declare-that-as-to-that-point-men/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [In public worship all should join. The little strings go to make up a concert, as well as the great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/in-public-worship-all-should-join-the-little-strings-go-to-make-up-a/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Where God gives opportunity for preaching it is more than likely that he has some people to convert. Usually the Word of God takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/where-god-gives-opportunity-for-preaching-it-is-more-than-likely-that/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/those-blessings-are-sweetest-that-are-won-with-prayer-and-worn-with/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [I will begin first to search out this right by that magna charta, that great and faithful charter which was made to Abraham, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/i-will-begin-first-to-search-out-this-right-by-that-magna-charta-that/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?' saith the Apostle; 'it is God that justifieth,' and it is their being elect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/who-shall-lay-anything-to-the-charge-of-god-s-elect-saith-the-apostle/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Therefore, seeing the Lord, when he doth speak, doth speak by others, and there is a great deal of reason for it, because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/therefore-seeing-the-lord-when-he-doth-speak-doth-speak-by-others-and/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“All that God is, will supply your need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/all-that-god-is-will-supply-your-need/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [My brethren, when God first began to love you, He gave you all that He ever meant to give you in the lump, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/my-brethren-when-god-first-began-to-love-you-he-gave-you-all-that-he/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [The most thankful person is the most fully human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/the-most-thankful-person-is-the-most-fully-human/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“God is infinitely beautiful in himself, and his beauty ought to attract you like a magnet to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/god-is-infinitely-beautiful-in-himself-and-his-beauty-ought-to/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) [Explore all 41 Thomas Goodwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) ## More Add quotes > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/) [Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, 'Let no one be called happy till his death;' to which I would add, 'Let no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-greeks-said-grandly-in-their-tragic-phrase-let-no-one-be-called/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may do what He will. That may wholly choose whether He will love or no. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would love us or no; for Him to love us, this is Grace.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Goodwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-super-adds-to-them-it-denotes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Add" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-super-adds-to-them-it-denotes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ada/thomas-goodwin-15928_add_grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-sup_597508.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a…” — Thomas Goodwin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Goodwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Grace is more than mercy and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-super-adds-to-them-it-denotes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-super-adds-to-them-it-denotes/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```