Wednesday, August 02, 2006

The promise cannot come too late



YHVH-YIREH. THE LORD WILL PROVIDE
Genesis xxii.14

William Cowper

The saints should never be dismay’d,
Nor sink in hopeless fear;
For when they least expect His aid,
The Saviour will appear.

This Abraham found: he raised the knife;
God saw, and said, “Forbear!
Yon ram shall yield his meaner life;
Behold the victim there.”

Once David seem’d Saul’s certain prey;
But hark! the foe’s at hand;
Saul turns his arms another way,
To save the invaded land.

When Jonah sunk beneath the wave,
He thought to rise no more;
But God prepared a fish to save,
And bear him to the shore.

Blest proofs of power and grace divine,
That meet us in His word!
May every deep-felt care of mine
Be trusted with the Lord.

Wait for His seasonable aid,
And though it tarry, wait:
The promise may be long delay’d,
But cannot come too late.


3 comments:

The Lazy Philosopher said...

I enjoy Wm Cowper's writing. I enjoy most poetry in general. I have two (I think) collections of Cowper's writing. I'll confess that he's not one of my all time favorites, he is occasionally profound but also occasionally dull.
I do enjoy this particular work.

Loy Mershimer said...

We all should aspire to "occasional profundity," don't you think?

The Lazy Philosopher said...

I'd settle for once in a lifetime...