Scripture Verse

We hear only a whisper of Him! Who can understand the thunder of His power? Job 26:14

Introduction

portrait
Henry Ware, Jr. (1794–1843)

Words: Hen­ry Ware, Jr., 1811. The In­com­pre­hen­si­bi­li­ty of De­ity.

Music: Mainz­er Jo­seph Mainz­er, 1841 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Joseph Mainzer (1801–1851)

Lyrics

God is a spir­it, great and just;
We His de­pend­ent crea­tures are:
His plea­sure called us from the dust;
His good­ness keeps us, and His care.

He dwells en­throned in light on high;
He lives through­out the bound­less whole;
Invisible to mor­tal eye,
Unsearchable by hu­man soul.

To fee­ble man ’twas ne­ver giv’n
The great mys­te­ri­ous One to know,
To scan the ma­jes­ty of Heav’n,
Or make His es­sence known be­low.

Enough for us, His so­ver­eign Word
Reveals Him as the God of love,
The just, the ev­er gra­cious Lord,
Who can but right­eous­ness ap­prove.

Unfolds His bliss­ful Heav’n above,
And glo­ry for His child­ren there;
While those who slight His of­fered love
Shall sink to dark­ness and des­pair.

There, al­so, is enough rev­ealed,
To guide us in the way we go;
And what His wis­dom has con­cealed
Might be but mi­se­ry to know.

O, then adore th’eter­nal Mind
With won­der, gra­ti­tude, and fear;
Nor seek what man may ne­ver find,
The know­ledge of His es­sence here.