The Creator and Creatures.

GOD is a name my soul adores

The almighty Three, the eternal One! Nature and grace, with all their powers,

Confess the infinite Unknown.

From Thy great self Thy being springs,
Thou art Thy own original,
Made up of uncreated things;

And self-sufficience bears them all.

Thy voice produced the seas and spheres,
Bid the waves roar, and planets shine;
But nothing like Thyself appears

Through all these spacious works of Thine.

Still restless nature dies and grows,

From change to change the creatures run; Thy being no succession knows,

And all Thy vast designs are one.

A glance of Thine runs through the globes, Rules the bright worlds, and moves their frame; Broad sheets of light compose Thy robes;

Thy guards are formed of living flame.

Thrones and dominions round Thee fall,
And worship in submissive forms;
Thy presence shakes this lower ball,
This little dwelling-place of worms.

How shall affrighted mortals dare

To sing Thy glory or Thy graceBeneath Thy feet we lie so far,

And see but shadows of Thy face!

Who can behold the blazing light?

Who can approach consuming flame? None but Thy wisdom knows Thy might None but Thy word can speak Thy name.

ISAAC WATTS.

Light Shining out of Darkness.

GOD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;

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

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs, And works His sovereign will.

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

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

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

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

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain: God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

WILLIAM COWPER.

Search after God.

I SOUGHT Thee round about, O Thou my God! In thine abode.

I said unto the earth: "Speak! art thou he?" She answered me:

"I am not." I enquired of creatures all, In general,

Contained therein - they with one voice pro

claim

That none amongst them challenged such a

name.

I asked the seas and all the deeps below,

My God to know;

I asked the reptiles, and whatever is

In the abyss

Even from the shrimp to the leviathan

Enquiry ran;

But in those deserts which no line can sound,

The God I sought for was not to be found.