Light Shining out of Darkness

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



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.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 30, 2023

39 sec read
166

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA BCBC DEDE XFXF XGXG XHGH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 717
Words 132
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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