STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

No strength of nature can suffice Love constraining to obedience

William Cowper printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book III, no. 62, under Romans 3:31.

WRITTEN BY

William Cowper 1731–1800

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 62

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Romans 3:31 the 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

No strength of nature can suffice

To serve the LORD aright;

And what she has, she misapplies,

For want of clearer light.

No line of this stanza quotes a verse closely; it is the hymn's own confession.

Where Cowper found it

Cowper printed the hymn under Romans 3:31. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law. ROMANS 3:31 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ ROMANS 3

To see the Law by CHRIST fulfilled, And hear his pard’ning voice; Changes a slave into a child, And duty into choice. STANZA VI

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 62. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 62 · WILLIAM COWPER · THIS HYMN No strength of nature can suffice

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