Olney Hymns · Chapter
Old Things Are Passed Away explained
The speaker declares that worldly pleasures and pursuits no longer hold any charm, for grace has set them free.
What happens
The speaker declares that worldly pleasures and pursuits no longer hold any charm, for grace has set them free. Seeing the Lord has eclipsed all earthly joys, and the heart is now fixed on Him alone. The poem expresses a humble hope that God will accept even the worst of sinners, trusting that His prior love is the cause of their conversion.
Themes in this chapter
Grace and Unmerited Favor
The speaker attributes their freedom from worldly pursuits to grace, acknowledging that without God's prior love they would have continued in sin.
The Vanity of Worldly Things
The poem contrasts the fleeting pleasures of the world with the enduring satisfaction found in Christ.
Characters to notice
- Jesus Christ
Revealed to the speaker, causing earthly pleasures to fade.
- Grace
Personified as the agent that sets the speaker free from worldly pursuits.
- The Narrator
The speaker who renounces the world and desires to be wholly the Lord's.
- The Lord
The one who has fixed the speaker's heart and is the object of their devotion.
Key passages
“Let worldly minds the world pursue / It has no charms for me;”
Those who are worldly may chase after earthly things, but I find no attraction in them.
The speaker declares their separation from worldly desires.
“As by the light of op’ning day / The stars are all conceal’d; / So earthly pleasures fade away / When Jesus is reveal’d.”
Just as stars disappear at dawn, so do worldly pleasures vanish when Jesus is revealed to the soul.
The revelation of Christ eclipses all earthly joys.
“For if thou hadst not loved me first, / I had refused thee still.”
If you had not taken the initiative in loving me, I would have continued to reject you.
The speaker acknowledges that their love for God is a response to God's prior love.