God Hidden and Manifest in Justice

O LORD GOD! most hidden and most manifest, whom no eye hath beholden, and whom no eye shall see, yet seen by the lowly-hearted, the just, the faithful, and the true, teach us never to despair because we cannot know Thee in Thy wondrous greatness; but rather let us rejoice that that which is common to all of us is of Thee—the knowledge of right and wrong, the principles of truth, and the practice of justice.

And, Lord God! while at times we roam over Thy mighty works with the fond desire that they should reveal to us Thy secret in them, yet may we be wise enough to come home and give ear to the quiet teachings of conscience that we may truly find Thee there. So, while we hope not to understand what Thou art, as a Spirit, or what Thy wondrous nature, yet we do understand what Thou feelest towards us. And we beseech Thee so to rule and guide our lives, that we may do unto others as we would they should do unto us; that we may love mercy, walk humbly, live peacefully, and come at last into the Rest of the Eternal God.

Grant unto us, amid the many changes of our times, and the many searches after truth, the failings of old things, and the incomings of new ones, that we may abide by the old faith, which beneath all forms and changes of time hath still held to the great truth that Thou lovest the creature Thou hast made, that Thou longest for his life and willest not his death, that Thou doest alway that which is just and right;—the faith which was in patriarch and prophet;—the faith which underlay the faith of all Thy children, of all times and creeds. Grant unto us the wisdom to see, and seeing, to rejoice, that though so much has passed away that men believed in olden days, yet there is no decline of faith in the beauty of loving-kindness, in the gloriousness of purity, in the beauty of righteousness, the splendour of justice, the strength of truth. And may we be too wise to join those who mourn, or those who shout in anger, because the things of yesterday pass from us. We go on towards Thee, O God: we are of Thy nature, because we are of Thine image and Spirit.

We beseech Thee to give us Thy quiet peace here, that, amid all chance and change, we may have ever this comfort—God knows, God wills, God loves. May no storm have power to fright our steadfast hearts, and no change have power to go down to the deep things of our quietness; so that whatsoever shall abide or pass away, we may know that the word of God has never changed. the word of righteousness, justice, and truth. So may Thy changelessness be our stay, and Thy steadfastness our upholding. Hear us in Thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.—AMEN.