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Olney Hymns · Chapter

Harvest explained

The poem reflects on the harvest season as a metaphor for spiritual growth and divine providence.

What happens

The poem reflects on the harvest season as a metaphor for spiritual growth and divine providence. It acknowledges human sinfulness but trusts in God's mercy and goodness. The growth of grain from foreign seeds parallels the sowing of heavenly joy in barren hearts, which despite opposition from sin and hell, will ultimately be harvested by death when fully ripe.

Themes in this chapter

  • Divine Providence and Guidance

    The poem emphasizes God's care in providing favorable conditions for growth and his role in the harvest.

  • Grace and Unmerited Favor

    The growth of heavenly joy in barren hearts is attributed to grace, which cannot be destroyed by sin or hell.

Characters to notice

  • The Lord

    Addressed as the gracious Lord who secures the crop and provides kindly heat and showers.

  • Sin

    Personified as an opposing force that cannot destroy grace's crop.

  • Death

    Personified as the reaper who finds the crop fully ripe at last.

Key passages

  • “All this plenty of the field Was produced from foreign seeds: For the earth itself would yield Only crops of useless weeds.”

    The abundance in the field comes from seeds sown from outside, because the ground naturally produces only weeds.

    Highlights the need for divine intervention to produce good fruit.

  • “Though conceal’d, it was not lost; Though it died, it lives again;”

    Even though the seed is hidden and seems to die, it is not lost but comes to life again.

    Reflects the resurrection theme and the hope of new life.

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