William Cowper and Olney Hymns

I posted at Out of the Ordinary this morning, recommending that you read Olney Hymns, particularly the hymns written by William Cowper.

I love Olney Hymns for Cowper’s hymns especially. Because of his illness, he contributed only 67 of the 379 hymns, but his verses include some of the finest poetry found in hymns. And knowing a little of Cowper’s story makes them even more remarkable. When you read the words of Cowper’s best known hymn, There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood1 (“and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains”), set them against the background of his conversion. Because Cowper felt so deeply the despair of condemnation for sin, he understood more fully that his only hope was Christ’s sacrifice.

Read the whole post.

(If you go to church with me, you can wait to read until next month’s Good News if you prefer.)

Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful that oldest daughter and her family finally have a working furnace, and just in time, judging by the weather forecast. They’ve been spending most of the day at my house for the past week or so, even eating lunch and supper here, because their own house was breath-seeing cold except for one bedroom where they had a space heater. I’m thankful that my home could serve them, but I’m also thankful for a day to catch up on tasks put off until things were quiet again.

And I’m thankful that oldest daughter is such a good cook. Having her here to make supper each night while I played with the baby was a blessing!

I’m thankful that I’m ready for winter because it might be already here. I’m thankful for a dusting of snow and the promise of more to come over the next week. I’m thankful for an extraordinary fall after a mediocre summer.

I’m thankful that God is good and all-powerful, so he is worthy of my trust. I’m thankful I’ve seen his providential hand in so many things this past week.

Round the Sphere Again: Attributes of God

Immutability
Staci Eastin (Writing and Living) recently wrote a series of posts on the unchangeableness of God, listing and explaining reasons why it’s important to understand this doctrine. 

• Part 1: It’s biblical.
• Part 2: It affects how we think about God.
• Part 3: It enhances our prayer life. 

And Diane Bucknell posted a collection of quotes and scripture on the immutability of God (Theology for Girls).

Goodness
God’s goodness is our comfort (Kim Shay at Out of the Ordinary).

Self-Existence, Immutability, Goodness, and More
What is God?, Questions 2 of the New City Catechism, including video commentary by D. A. Carson. You’ll want to check out the other questions in the catechism, too.