STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

I was a groveling creature once Lively hope, and gracious fear

William Cowper printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book III, no. 51.

WRITTEN BY

William Cowper 1731–1800

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 51

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

A subject no verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Cowper printed them, with the verses their lines echo beside them. Point at a line to join it to its verse; click to read the passage.

SHARED WORDSthe verse shares the line's wording ECHOproposed by an AI model, confirmed by a separate check Not the author's own notes

AMONG THE SCRIPTURES

The stanzas at the centre; around them, every book its heading and its echoes come from, Old Testament on the left and New on the right. Choose a stanza or a book.

a line echoes this verse its heading or an echo comes from here

STANZA I

I was a groveling creature once

I was a groveling creature once,

And safely cleaved to earth;

I wanted spirit to renounce

The clod that gave me birth.

The passage it draws on most

Its book prints no verse above this hymn. Of the verses its lines share most wording with, this is the one the whole hymn draws on, chosen by an AI model from those the word matching found. Not the author's own heading.

You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the LORD: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.” ISAIAH 66:5 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE OPEN IT BESIDE THE PAGE

Its place in the book

Book III of the hymn book, “On the progress and changes of the spiritual life”, holds these hymns in this order: 106 hymns. This is number 51. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 51 · WILLIAM COWPER · THIS HYMN I was a groveling creature once

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