In The Blackness Of The Cloud

In The Blackness Of The Cloud

Music: Not Stated

Source: Rev. John Mason Neale, Hymns For Children. A Third Series. (1854), Third Edition (London: Joseph Masters, 1867), #11, pp. 15-16.
See: Christmas in Neale's Hymns for Children

1. In the blackness of the cloud,
When the thunder waxeth loud;
In the swelling of the sea,
When the wave roars horribly;—

2. In the seed that first must die
Ere the plant shall rise on high;
In the opening of the flower,—
We are taught that God is Power.

3. In the wandering stars, that go
By a path we little know,
And their Maker’s voice obey,
Travelling on their heavenly way;

4. In the sun that knows his time
To his highest point to climb,
In the moon and starry skies,—
We are taught of God All-wise.

5 When we mark how God’s right arm
Keeps His people free from harm,
And, when all things else have fail’d
How His promise hath prevail’d;

6. How when every hope seems gone,
Still He leads His chosen on,
Up to hoary hairs from youth,—
We are taught that God is Truth.

7. When we turn our thoughts aside
To this holy Christmas-tide,
How He came for man below,
God of God, to suffer woe;

8. Oh, how thankfully we say
With the blessed Saint to-day,
He that dwells in Heaven above,
Dwelt on earth, for “God is love."

9. Him, by Whom mankind was made,
Him that was for man betray’d,
Him, by Whom we live anew,
Praise we ever, as is due.

Note:

Also found in Mary Sackville Lawson, et al, eds., Collected Hymns, Sequences and Carols of John Mason Neale (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914), pp. 363-364, citing 1 John 4:8-19 (KJV):

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

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