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GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY

William Cowper

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.

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the LORD by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding ev'ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

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Song Analysis

William Cowper (1731-1800) was a prolific poet who spent time institutionalized for
insanity, advocated against slavery (his poem "The Negro's Complaint" being quoted by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), and hailed by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as "the best modern
poet." Cowper, also good friends with "Amazing Grace" author John Newton, wrote a
poem with resulted in an English mainstay phrase: "God moves in a mysterious way."

Cowper's poem is exultant and rich with imagery and insight, especially for those like
Cowper who face chronic depression and despair. I suggest listening to one of these
great recordings (Jeremy Riddle or Bob Kauflin) as we check out the lyrics.

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Put another way, "God performs his wonders in a mysterious way." When someone wants
to show off, typically they'll give some reasonable indication; illusionist David Blaine will
perform his magic stunts on the Vegas Strip, exhibitionists like Evel Knievel will put up
posters anticipating his Grand Canyon jump, and hopeful politicians will take to Twitter
to bash incumbents weeks before they announce their candidacy. We like to prepare
our audience for our big move, waiting for the right conditions. But God's ways are not
our ways.

We like to plant ourselves on a firm foundation, but God steps into the raging sea. The
sea has long been for humanity a source of chaos and fear of the
unknown. Thalassophobia (fear of the sea) is crippling: not only are we afraid of what
might be lurking in the depths, but we are exponentially more vulnerable in water
compared to on land. But God overcomes the chaotic, watery darkness and produces
beautiful things (Genesis 1:2).

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.

Though God is present in the chaos, God's plans are not chaotic, accidental, or subject
to change. The tapestry of history has been woven by a Master, perfectly planned out
before —not at the beginning, but before— the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

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Neither are God's plans a response to a crisis, but rather a treasured design to
demonstrate His glory. On top of that, not only is God's plan wonderful, but He will also
see it done to the letter, according to His sovereign will. God does what He will because
He wants to (Psalm 115:3).

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

"Are you afraid? Take courage again!" Cowper turns his attention to Christians who fear
because of their circumstances. "Those clouds that are looming, full of thunder and
fury, that you think will be your undoing, your destruction, your end...." We often look at
a situation on the horizon that we think will ruin us —losing our job or a loved one
perhaps— and think "If that storm hits me, I'm as good as dead." And like a storm, we
are helpless to stop it from rolling in, helpless to stop it from exploding over us.

But those are the very clouds, Cowper declares, that are full of "mercy" like a raincloud
is full of water. And the mercies of God will pour over you in blessings. What mercy?
What blessings? Sometimes it's the typical blessings: relief from suffering, physical or
psychological healing, etc. But more times than not, it's a more subtle kind of blessing:
discipline. The loss of a job can force you to re-evaluated life priorities. The sudden
loss of a loved one may prompt you to better cherish your family and more faithfully
love God for the duration of your own life. Here's the point, whether it's good or bad
that comes out of the cloud, God is using it to show you mercy and blessing. It's
something that, in the end, you'll look back on and say, "Thank you, Lord. I needed
that."

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

"Don't judge God's heart or His actions only based on what your eyes see." When see
evil happen and we say something like, "I could never believe in a God who could do
something like that," what we really mean is, "I don't see how anything good could come
from that pain, therefore there must not be any way for good to result." But this
assumes we have a God-like view of all the factors. It's like a small child who can't see
any valid reason for his mother to not let him play in the street when the concept of

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moving vehicles is beyond his comprehension. He cries in protest but his mother is
wiser.

Instead, Christians should look to God's clear grace in the past for confidence that God
will continue in that grace in the future. If we look to God's grace (especially in His
giving of Jesus on the cross), our "frowning" circumstances will be engulfed by the
knowledge that God has already shown He has spared no expense on our behalf, and our
current trial is no threat to His good purposes for us.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

So often we opt for the sweet bud which inevitably blooms into a bitter flower. This is
the very nature of sin —seemingly pleasurable in the moment, but hell in the end. But
God's ways are different and they are good. But God's discipline in the moment is
painful, but yields multiplied rewards. "We all will suffer one of two pains: either we will
suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." But the trials we face that we think
are hell in the moment end up being the crucible which brings sweet remedy in a deeper
way than we expected.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

"Everything not from faith is sin," and so, too, are our evaluations of God's work
without faith. In a twist on the modern adage, Cowper calls unbelief blindness, and
inversely, faith is true sight. Cowper does not endorse "blind" faith, where the believer
is called to merely accept all that is taught without using discernment. Every system of
thought, in reality, is blend between reason and faith, but Christianity calls for faith
based on the historical proofs (such as eyewitness accounts in 1st Corinthians 15).
Rejecting God is its own leap of faith.

But in the midst of heartache and misery, those who trust the testimonies about Jesus
must also remember that we don't stand in judgment of God's work, but rather wait on
Him to show us what His purposes are within our trials in His own time, for "God is His
own interpreter." If we say, "God, I want to trust you, but You have to explain Yourself

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about this situation or issue first," we have falsely assumed that we are equals with
God, and, like Job, must face the reality of our limits: "Where were you when I laid the
foundations of the earth? Who is this that darkens counsel without knowledge?"

Rather, let our suffering be weighed in light of both the unchanging faithfulness of God
and the promises He has made.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also
justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not
spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all
things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to
condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the
right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?

-Romans 8

Contentment by William Cowper

Fierce passions discompose the mind,

As tempests vex the sea,
But calm, content and peace we find,
When, Lord, we turn to Thee.

In vain by reason and by rule

We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour's school
Can learn the heavenly skill.

Since at His feet my soul has sate,

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His gracious words to hear,

Contented with my present state,
I cast on Him my care.

"Art thou a sinner, soul?" He said,

"Then how canst thou complain?
How light thy troubles here, if weigh'd
With everlasting pain!

"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,

Compare thy griefs with mine!
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine.

"'Tis I appoint thy daily lot,

And I do all things well;
Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,
And rise with me to dwell.

"In life my grace shall strength supply,

Proportion'd to thy day;
At death thou still shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away."

Thus I, who once my wretched days

In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour's school of grace,
Have learnt to be content.

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Comparison

William Cowper

The lapse of time and rivers is the same,

Both speed their journey with a restless stream;
The silent pace, with which they steal away,
No wealth can bribe, no prayers persuade to stay;
Alike irrevocable both when past,
And a wide ocean swallows both at last.
Though each resemble each in every part,
A difference strikes at length the musing heart;
Streams never flow in vain; where streams abound,
How laughs the land with various plenty crown-d!
But time, that should enrich the nobler mind,
Neglected, leaves a dreary waste behind.

Dependence

To keep the lamp alive,

With oil we fill the bowl;

‘Tis water makes the willow thrive,

And grace that feeds the soul.

The Lord’s unsparing hand

Supplies the living stream;

It is not at our own command,

But still derived from Him.

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Beware of Peter’s word,

Nor confidently say,

“I never will deny Thee, Lord,”

But, “Grant I never may.”

Man’s wisdom is to seek

His strength in God alone;

And e’en an angel would be weak,

Who trusted in his own.

Retreat beneath his wings,

And in His gace confide!

This more exalts the King of kings

Than all your works beside.

In Jesus is our store,

Grace issues from His throne;

Whoever says, “I want no more,”

Confesses he has done.

Themes in William Cowper's Poetry

Christian Theology

As a preacher and fervent Christian, the will of God and Christian believe always play a major role within
the poetry of William Cowper. His poems often explicitly name God or refer to his will as unchanging. This
thematic focus made him one of the most popular poets of his time. The topic is especially interesting, as
Cowper was such a strong believer that his poems very often shunned criticism of believe. A major

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example of this can be found in the poem "God Moves in a Mysterious Way", which focusses strongly on
the difference between the human perception of situations and the true Godly perception. For Cowper it
was never acceptable to question God.

Abolitionism

Cowper was, as a fervent Christian and humanist, a firm believer in abolitionism. Some poems had a strong
focus on the end to slavery around the planet. The subjugation of the black man, in Cowper's eyes, was an
affront towards God and has to end as soon as possible. The best example of this poetry can be found in the
poem "The Negro's Complaint". The poet gives agency to the black man, using a slave as the narrator, and
puts him therefore on the same level as the white man. This poem in particular and other poems as well
contain explicit pleas to end slavery.

Everyday Life - A humans fate

As one of the forerunners of Romanticism, William Cowper often included or even focused on the life of
ordinary people. These poems often take place in the countryside or at other work places of ordinary
people. While never abandoning the eternal devotion to God and his eternal plan, this focus on human
instead of godly matters distinguishes Cowper from other poets of his time. One good example of this
can be found in the poem "The Castaway" where Cowper describes the fate of a sailor swept into the
ocean. The poem describes the final moments of a sailor before drowning.

Poetry - Meta-analysis

Cowper often, within his poems refers to the job and life of the poet. He explicitly rises out of the
narrative of the poem at hand and talks about poetry as an art or chore. One such example can be
found in the poem "The Castaway", where the description of the the sailors last moments ends with
a general consideration of poets treatment of ordinary life. Cowper considers death as ultimate as
no poet remembers those ordinary people, so everyone dies alone at last. Another example can be
found in "The Timepiece", where Cowper mentions the pain of poetry only a poet can know within the
ordinary story of the poem.

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