Analysis of Olney Hymn 60: Abuse Of The Gospel

William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)



Too many, Lord, abuse Thy grace
In this licentious day,
And while they boast they see Thy face,
They turn their own away.

Thy book displays a gracious light
That can the blind restore;
But these are dazzled by the sight,
And blinded still the more.

The pardon such presume upon,
They do not beg but steal;
And when they plead it at Thy throne,
Oh! where's the Spirit's seal?

Was it for this, ye lawless tribe,
The dear Redeemer bled?
Is this the grace the saints imbibe
From Christ the living head?

Ah, Lord, we know Thy chosen few
Are fed with heavenly fare;
But these, - the wretched husks they chew,
Proclaim them what they are.

The liberty our hearts implore
Is not to live in sin;
But still to wait at Wisdom's door,
Till Mercy calls us in.


Scheme ABAB CDCD XEXE FGFG HXHX DIDI
Poetic Form Quatrain  (83%)
Metre 11010111 010101 01111111 111101 11010101 110101 11110101 010101 01010101 111111 01111111 110101 11111101 0111 11010101 110101 11111101 1111001 11010111 011111 010010101 111101 1111111 110110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 753
Words 143
Sentences 9
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 96
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

43 sec read
110

William Cowper

William Macquarie Cowper was an Australian Anglican archdeacon and Dean of Sydney. more…

All William Cowper poems | William Cowper Books

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