Great God, How Oft Did Israel Prove

Great God

how oft did Is­ra­el prove

By turns Thine an­ger and Thy love?

There in a glass our hearts may see

How fic­kle and how false they be.

How soon the faith­less Jews for­got

The dread­ful won­ders God had wrought!

Then they pro­voke Him to His face

Nor fear His pow­er

nor trust His grace.

The Lord con­sumed their years in pain

And made their tra­vels long and vain;

A te­di­ous march through un­known ways

Wore out their strength

and spent their days.

Oft when they saw their breth­ren slain

They mourned

and sought the Lord again;

Called Him the Rock of their ab­ode

Their high Re­deem­er

and their God.

Their pray­ers and vows be­fore Him rise

As flat­ter­ing words or sol­emn lies

While their re­bel­li­ous tem­pers prove

False to His co­ve­nant and His love.

Yet did His sov­er­eign grace for­give

The men who not de­served to live;

His an­ger oft away He turned

Or else with gen­tle flame it burned.

He saw their flesh was weak and frail

He saw temp­ta­tions still pre­vail;

The God of Ab­ra­ham loved them still

And led them to His ho­ly hill.