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2 But weaker yet that thought must prove,
To search Thy great eternal plan,
Thy sovereign counsels, born of love
Long ages ere the world began.

3

When my dim reason would demand
Why that, or this, Thou dost ordain,
By some vast deep I seem to stand,
Whose secrets I must ask in vain.

4 When doubts disturb my troubled breast, And all is dark as night to me, Here, as on solid rock, I rest,

That so it seemeth good to Thee.

5 Be this my joy, that evermore
Thou rulest all things at Thy will;
Thy sovereign wisdom I adore,
And calmly, sweetly, trust Thee still.

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But all creation dwells in Thee,

And Thy great life through all doth flow.

2 And yet, O strange and wondrous thought!
Thou art a God who hearest prayer,
And every heart with sorrow fraught,
To seek Thy present aid may dare.

3 And though most weak our efforts seem Into one creed these thoughts to bind; 1; And vain the intellectual dream,

To see and know th' Eternal Mind ;4 Yet Thou wilt turn them not aside, Who cannot solve Thy life divine, But would give up all reason's pride To know their hearts approved by Thine. 5 So though we faint on life's dark hill, And Thought grow weak, and Knowledge flee,

Yet Faith shall teach us courage still,
And Love shall guide us on to Thee.

49

O

T. W. HIGGINSON.

L.M.

HEIGHT that doth all height excel, Where the Almighty doth abide ! O awful depth unsearchable,

Wherein the Eternal One doth hide!

2 O dreadful glory, that doth make

Thick darkness round the heavenly
throne,

Through which no angel-eye may break,
Wherein the Lord doth dwell alone!

3 Our fainting souls the quest give o'er,
Their weary wings no longer try;
His dwelling we may not explore,
We may not on His glory pry.

4 Vain searchers! but we need not mourn; We need not stretch our weary wings; Thou meetest us where'er we turn; Thou beamest, Lord, from all bright things.

5 The glory no man may abide

Doth visit us, a gracious guest; Thou whom " excess of light" doth hide Here shinest, sweetly manifest.

6 To us, vain searchers after God,

To us, the Holy Ghost doth come;
From us Thou hidest Thine abode ;
But Thou wilt make our souls Thy
home.

7 O Glory that no eye may bear!

O Presence bright, our souls' sweet
Guest!

O farthest off! O ever near!

Most hidden and most manifest!

50

POWER.

T. H. GILL.

GOD! Thy power is wonderful,
Thy glory passing bright;

Thy wisdom, with its deep on deep,
A rapture to the sight.

2 Thy justice is the gladdest thing
Creation can behold;

Thy tenderness so meek, it wins
The guilty to be bold.'

C.M.

2 Thee, while the first archangel sings, He hides his face beneath his wings; And ranks of shining thrones around Fall worshipping, and spread the ground.

3 Lord, what shall earth and ashes do?
We would adore our Maker too;

From sin and dust to Thee we cry,
The Great, the Holy, and the High.

4 Earth from afar has heard Thy fame,
And we have learnt to lisp Thy Name;
But, O, the glories of Thy mind,

Leave all our soaring thoughts behind.

5 God is in heaven, and men below;
Be short our tunes, our words be few;
A sacred reverence checks our songs,
And praise sits silent on our tongues.

40

WATTS.

L.M.

YREAT Former of this various frame,

GREAT of this venous frame,

And bow and tremble while they praise
The Ancient of eternal days.

2 Before Thine infinite survey,
Creation rose as yesterday;

And, as to-morrow, shall Thine eye
See earth and stars in ruin lie.

3 Beyond the highest angel's sight,
Thou dwellest in eternal light,

Which shines with undiminished ray,
While suns and systems waste away.

4 Our days a transient period run,
And change with every circling sun ;
And while to lengthened years we trust,
Before the moth we sink to dust.

5 But let the creatures fall around;
Let death consign us to the ground;
Let the last general flame arise,
And melt the arches of the skies ;-
6 Calm as the summer's ocean, we
Can all the wreck of nature see;
While grace secures us an abode
Unshaken as the throne of God.

41

DODDRIDGE.

OUR God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

2 Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

3 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,

C.M.

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