Human Frailty [partial]

Weak and irresolute is man;
The purpose of to-day,
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Some foe to his upright intent
Finds out his weaker part;
Virtue engages his assent,
But Pleasure wins his heart.
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A stranger to superior strength,
Man vainly trusts his own.

But oars alone can ne’er prevail
To reach the distant coast;
The Breath of Heaven must swell the sail,
Or all the toil is lost.

• William Cowper

Finite vs. Infinite

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will. …

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain:
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

• William Cowper,

"Light Shining Out of Darkness " (partial)- from The Olney Hymns