Lord! In the Unbeginning Years

Lord! in the un­be­gin­ning years

Whose course is wrapped in track­less night

Ere Thou hadst launched the heav­en­ly spheres

Or waked this wan­der­ing world to light;

What were Thy words

Thy works

and how

Didst Thou Thy glo­ri­ous march re­cord?

For Thou wert great and good

as now

Of love the source

of light the Lord.

And in the un­end­ing ag­es

far

Beyond the ut­most reach of mind

When all that is

and all that are

Shall leave not e’en a wreck be­hind:

Oh! what shall be Thy bright ca­reer

Lord of the eter­nal

change­less will?

Thou will be there su­preme

as here—

All wise

all good

al­migh­ty still!

Yes! shroud­ed in the mys­te­ry

The past

the fu­ture’s dark ab­yss

Bright clouds of splen­dor cir­cle Thee

And light Thy path from bliss to bliss.

This is our faith

our hope

our trust

Through thought’s im­mea­sur­able range

Time is a dream

and man is dust—

But Thou—but Thou canst nev­er change!