The secret things of the Lord our God
Are His own, and are His alone;
For His deepest ways are unsearchable,
And His mysteries cannot be known;
In the times of old, though men might search,
As they penned the inspired Word,
No knowledge, no light, nor Spirit to teach;
Total darkness did all enshroud.
But God is a God of love and light,
And delights to unfold His ways;
Though in ages past, His counsels might
Be hidden from His creatures’ gaze;
In fullness of time, His Son He revealed
To this world so immersed in sin,
That those mysteries of God, so long concealed,
Might enthral those His grace would win.
The secrets of God, long to man unknown,
Now revealed to His saints on earth;
Those called of Him, who were long foreknown,
And destined for heavenly birth;
Those counsels of God, which He once did hide,
Are now to be preached to all,
That all might find, in the One who died,
That glory, their hearts to fill.
But the mysteries too on the conscience burn,
So that man is without excuse,
Should a creature dare God’s free grace to spurn,
And His offer of love refuse;
How solemn to think of the end of those
Who, exposed to the fullest light,
Would rebuff His grace, and iniquity choose,
And His offer of mercy slight.
But how blest are those who God’s secrets know,
That are centered in His dear Son!
Those counsels sublime, revealed to us now,
From the risen ascended One!
In the ages to come, we shall praise Him where
We shall with Him in glory be;
Yet though glory shines, in that heavenly sphere —
’Tis His face that we long to see!
wjp