Olney Hymns · Chapter
What Shall I Render? explained
The poem reflects on the overwhelming mercies received from Jesus Christ and the inadequacy of human response.
What happens
The poem reflects on the overwhelming mercies received from Jesus Christ and the inadequacy of human response. It acknowledges the sinfulness of the heart and the worthlessness of human works, yet resolves to take the cup of salvation and call upon God, recognizing that the best return for a poor and wretched sinner is to draw near to God in prayer and to owe Him everything.
Themes in this chapter
Grace and Unmerited Favor
The narrator acknowledges that his best works are stained with sin and nothing worth, yet he can still approach God because of His grace.
Prayer and Dependence on God
The narrator resolves to take the cup of salvation and call upon God, drawing a plea from God's gifts to ask for more.
Characters to notice
- Jesus Christ
The Redeemer from whose hands mercies are received daily.
- The Narrator
The speaker who contemplates what to render to God for His mercies.
- God
The one to whom the narrator calls upon and from whom he seeks more gifts.
Key passages
“For mercies, countless as the sands, Which daily I receive From Jesus my Redeemer’s hands, My soul, what canst thou give?”
I receive countless mercies from Jesus every day, so what can I possibly offer in return?
The opening stanza sets the tone of gratitude and the question of adequate response.
“Alas! from such a heart as mine What can I bring him forth? My best is stain’d and dyed with sin, My all is nothing worth.”
My heart is so sinful that even my best efforts are tainted and worthless.
Acknowledgment of human depravity and the insufficiency of human works.
“Yet this acknowledgment I’ll make For all he has bestow’d— Salvation’s sacred cup I’ll take, And call upon my God.”
I will acknowledge all that God has given me by taking the cup of salvation and praying to Him.
The response to God's mercy is to embrace salvation and prayer.
“The best returns for one like me, So wretched and so poor, Is from his gifts to draw a plea, And ask him still for more.”
The best I can do, being so poor and wretched, is to use His gifts as a reason to ask for more.
The idea that the proper response to grace is to seek more grace.
“I cannot serve him as I ought, No works have I to boast; Yet would I glory in the thought That I should owe him most.”
I cannot serve Him perfectly and have no works to boast of, but I take pride in the fact that I owe Him everything.
The final stanza emphasizes humility and the glory of being indebted to God's grace.