God, wind and weather-changes wills,
And who but stoops to this?
Life-changes too when he fulfils,
Let mortals be submiss.

Man cannot, with his feeble eye,
Meridian lustre bear,
When northern winds that sweep the sky,
Make upper regions clear.

Then surely mortals, seiz'd with fright
And terror, must decline
The glorious and tremendous sight
Of majesty divine.

For, touching the almighty God
We cannot find him out;
So pompous is his high abode,
And splendid round about.

From majesty, so great and high,
We must with dread retire
Nor gratify our curious eye,
But rev'rently admire:

But after all our bold essays
And searches here we find,
Our reason cannot shun the maze,
Nor grasp th' eternal mind.

So boundless and transcendant is
His energy and might,
His judgments are so just and wise,
And his decrees so right.

That no debater must decry
The great Jehovah's deeds,
Nor boldly ask a reason why
He thus and thus proceeds.

Should any ask it to their shame,
Then know that he alone,
Is sov'reign Lord and Judge supreme,
Accountable to none.

This should instruct us not to spurn,
But pious rev'rence raise;
Our mutiny to marvel turn,
Our discontent to praise.

This to right reason should restore,
Make carnal reason mute,
And teach us humbly to adore,
But never to dispute.

Mild mercy meets with justice strict
In standing to his laws;
He therefore wills not to afflict,
Nor strikes without a cause.

Men fear his name in Christ for this,
Because he mercy hath;
But rebels, that reject the bliss,
Shall fear and feel his wrath.

God favours humble hearts and wills,
But sons of pride defies;
And in his sight wise men are fools,
Who in their own are wise.