A Lancashire Doxology

"PRAISE God from whom all blessings flow."  
  Praise Him who sendeth joy and woe.
  The Lord who takes, - the Lord who gives, -
  O praise Him, all that dies, and lives.
  He opens and He shuts his hand,
  But why, we cannot understand:
  Pours and dries up his mercies' flood,
  And yet is still All-perfect Good.
  We fathom not the mighty plan,
 The mystery of God and man;
 We women, when afflictions come,
 We only suffer and are dumb.
 And when, the tempest passing by,
 He gleams out, sun-like, through our sky,
 We look up, and through black clouds riven,
 We recognize the smile of Heaven.
 Ours is not wisdom of the wise,
 We have no deep philosophies:
 Childlike we take both kiss and rod,
 For he who loveth knoweth God.