STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS
My God! how perfect are thy ways! JEHOVAH our righteousness
William Cowper printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 67, under Jeremiah 23:6.
WRITTEN BY
William Cowper 1731–1800
PRINTED
1779 Olney Hymns · no. 67
METRE
Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 5 stanzas
WRITTEN ON
Jeremiah 23:6 the verse printed above it
The hymn, and the Scripture in it
All 5 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
My God! how perfect are thy ways
My God! how perfect are thy ways!
But mine polluted are;
Sin twines itself about my praise,
And slides into my prayer.
Where Cowper found it
Cowper printed the hymn under Jeremiah 23:6. The line that comes closest to it is marked.
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. JEREMIAH 23:6 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ JEREMIAH 23
Let others in the gaudy dress Of fancied merit shine; The LORD shall be my righteousness The LORD for ever mine. STANZA V
Its place in the book
Book I of Olney Hymns walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one hymn per passage: 141 hymns. This is number 67. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.
NO. 67 · WILLIAM COWPER · THIS HYMN My God! how perfect are thy ways!
Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.
A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.
SPEND TIME IN THE WORD
- Open the reader
- Books & reading progress
- Compare Scripture editions
- Find a passage
FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS
- Study collections
- People & places
- Faith & apologetics
- Stories of faith
A library with a paper trail.
Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.
Download the code.
Open source on GitHub.