Trust not in thine own self: thou hast not been
On thy fictitious resources thrown,
E’en tho’ thro’ airy regions thou hast flown
A kite to carry thee from Zone to Zone;
And tho’ the lightning thou hast sped between
The hemispheres, and islands, wastes, and seas,
Thy plans to prosper, and thy pride to please;
And tho’ thou hast been privileged to glean
A little knowledge of the heavenly spheres,
Their orbit, weight, circumference, and years,
As well as mysteries of things terrene,
Thou art but little more than animated dust,
In which it were disastrous to place thy trust.
Trust thou in Him who made the seven stars,
And slung the great Orion with a sword,
And countless worlds with diverse glories stored,
Upholding all things by His mighty word:
In Him who bears of human hate the scars
Upon His person, and who freely gave
His soul an offering thy lost soul to save,
Put thy whole trust; thy fancied might but wars
Against His grace; do not upon it lean
In the terrific battle waged between
The light of life and the infernal bars
Of darkness, but in Him who is prepared
To lead to victory: trust Him for every need.
Trust thou in Him who still delights to see
His creature place indubitable trust,
Not in himself as tho’ he were not dust,
But in the Lord, who merciful and just
Would still encourage us to bend the knee
Before His gracious throne, and seek His face
For such supplies of necessary grace
As help us onward in our way, for He
Both might and wisdom gives with lavish hand
To those who daily feel how much they stand
In need of both, but these He gives, and we
Lack nothing but His shepherd staff and rod
For found are our resources in the love of God.