Poem by William Cowper

Olney Hymn 53. My Soul Thirsteth for God

I thirst, but not as once I did,
    The vain delights of earth to share; 
Thy wounds, Emmanuel, all forbid
    That I should seek my pleasures there.

It was the sight of Thy dear cross
    First wean'd my soul from earthly things; 
And taught me to esteem as dross
    The mirth of fools and pomp of kings.

I want that grace that springs from Thee,
    That quickens all things where it flows, 
And makes a wretched thorn like me
    Bloom as the myrtle, or the rose.

Dear fountain of delight unknown!
    No longer sink below the brim; 
But overflow, and pour me down
    A living and life-giving stream!

For sure of all the plants that share
    The notice of thy Father's eye, 
None proves less grateful to His care,
    Or yields him meaner fruit than I.

1. Olney Hymn 4. Jehovah-Nissi. The Lord My Banner
2. See Where the Thames, the Purest Stream
3. An Apology for Not Showing Her What I Had Wrote
4. Olney Hymn 55. The Heart Healed and Changed by Mercy
5. Olney Hymn 32. The Shining Light

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