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189. L. M. BOWRING.
Mysteries of Providence.

1 LORD, in the unbeginning years,

Whose course is wrapped in trackless night; Ere thou hadst launched the heavenly spheres, Or waked this wandering world to light,What were thy words,-thy works, and how Didst thou thy glorious march record? For thou wert great and good as now, Of love the Source, of light the Lord. 2 And in the unending ages, far Beyond the utmost reach of mind, When all that is, and all that are, Shall leave not e'en a wreck behind,— O, what shall be thy bright career, Lord of the eternal, changeless will? Thou wilt be there supreme, as here,— All-wise, all-good, almighty still! 3 Yes! shrouded in the mystery, The past, the future's dark abyss, Bright clouds of splendour circle thee; And light thy path from bliss to bliss. This is our faith, our hope, our trust, Through thought's immeasurable range : Time is a dream, and man is dust; But Thou-but Thou canst never change.

190.

C. M. COWPER.

The Mysteries of Providence.

1 God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

2 Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

3 Ye fearful saints! fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread,
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace:
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain :
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

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"Canst thou find out the Almighty?"

1 CAN creatures to perfection find
The eternal, uncreated Mind?

Or can the largest stretch of thought
Measure and search his nature out?

2 'Tis high as heaven, 'tis deep as hell,
And what can mortals know or tell?
His glory spreads beyond the sky,
And all the shining worlds on high.

3 God is a King of power unknown;
Firm are the orders of his throne;
If he resolve, who dare oppose,
Or ask him why, or what he does?

4 He frowns, and darkness veils the moon;
The fainting sun grows dim at noon:
The pillars of heaven's starry roof
Tremble and start at his reproof.

5 These are a portion of his ways:
But who shall dare describe his face?
Who can endure his light, or stand
To hear the thunders of his hand?

192.

L. M.

WALKER'S COLL.

"God, with whom is no Variableness."

1 ALL-POWERFUL, self-existent God,
Who all creation dost sustain !
Thou wast, and art, and art to come,
And everlasting is thy reign!

2 Fixed and eternal as thy days,
Each glorious attribute divine,
Through ages infinite, shall still
With undiminished lustre shine.

3 Fountain of being! Source of good!
Immutable thou dost remain !

Nor can the shadow of a change
Obscure the glories of thy reign.

4 Earth may with all her powers dissolve, If such the great Creator's will;

But thou forever art the same,
I AM, is thy memorial still.

193.

L. M.

DODDRIDGE.

Immutability of God. Ps. 102.

1 GREAT Former of this various frame !
Our souls adore thine awful name;
We bow with reverence when we praise
The Ancient of eternal days.

2 Beyond an angel's vision bright,
Thou dwell'st in self-existent light,
Which shines with undiminished ray,
While suns and systems pass away.
3 Our days a transient period run,
And change with every circling sun;
And in the firmest state we boast,
A moth can crush us into dust.

4 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;—
5 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.

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Eternity and Immutability of God.

1 GREAT GOD, how infinite art thou!
How frail and weak are we!
Let the whole race of creatures bow,
And pay their praise to thee.

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood,
Ere seas or stars were made;
Thou art the ever-living God,
Were all the nations dead.

3 Eternity, with all its years,
Stands present in thy view,
To thee there's nothing old appears,
Great God, there's nothing new.

4 Our lives through various scenes are drawn, And vexed with trifling cares,

While thine eternal thought moves on
Thine undisturbed affairs.

5 Great God, how infinite art thou!
How frail and weak are we!

Let the whole race of creatures bow,
And pay their praise to thee.

195.

C. M. TATE AND BRADY.

God Unchangeable.

1 THROUGH endless years thou art the same,
Q, ever blessed God!

Ages to come shall know thy name,
And spread thy praise abroad.

2 The deep foundations of the earth
Of old by thee were laid;

And all the beauteous arch of heaven
With matchless skill was made.

3 Soon shall this goodly frame of things,
Formed by thy powerful hand,

Be, like a vesture, laid aside,
And changed at thy command.

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