Thou art a perfect Sovereign, oh my God!
And I rejoice to think that thou art so;
That all events are under thy control,
And that thou knowest all I think and do.
But some may ask, "then why am I to blame
Because I sin, if God hath made me thus?"
Stop, stop, my friend, God tempteth not to sin,
Thou dost it of thy own free will and choice.
Though God is Sovereign, we free agents are,
Accountable to him for all we do,
Feel, think, or say; and at the last great day,
A most exact account must render too.
With this conclusion be thou satisfied--
_For all who will accept him, Christ hath died_.
Sept. 19, 1862.
* * * * *
God is a Sovereign, man free agent too;
How these to reconcile I do not know:
But _this_ I know, if _lost_, the blame is _mine_,
If saved, the _praise_, oh God! be _only thine_.