The House Of Prayer. - Mark xi.17.

Thy mansion is the Christians heart,
O Lord, thy dwelling-place secure!
Bid the unruly throng depart,
And leave the consecrated door.


Devoted as it is to thee,
A thievish swarm frequents the place;
They steal away my joys from me,
And rob my Saviour of his praise.


There, too, a sharp designing trade
Sin, Satan, and the world maintain;
Nor cease to press me, and persuade
To part with ease, and purchase pain.


I know them, and I hate their din,
Am weary of the bustling crowd;
But while their voice is heard within,
I cannot serve thee as I would.


Oh for the joy thy presence gives,
What peace shall reign when thou art here!
Thy presence makes this den of thieves
A calm delightful house of prayer.


And if thou make thy temple shine,
Yet self-abased, will I adore;
The gold and silver are not mine,
I give thee what was thine before.

William Cowper

William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist known for his contributions to English literature and the Evangelical revival of the 18th century. He suffered from periods of severe depression and mental illness, which influenced much of his work. Despite his struggles, Cowper produced notable works including 'Olney Hymns' in collaboration with John Newton and 'The Task,' which gained considerable popularity. His poetry is often characterized by its introspective, religious, and sometimes melancholic themes.

William Cowper

Psalm CXIV

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

On The High Price Of Fish.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

The Needless Alarm. A Tale.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

To Mrs. King, On Her Kind Present To The Author, A Patchwork Counterpane Of Her Own Making.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

On Opening A Place For Social Prayer.

Jesus! whereer thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy seat;
Whereer thy seek thee, thou art found,
And every place is hallowd ground.


For thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.


Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.


Here may we prove the power of prayer,
To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.


Behold, at thy commanding word
We stretch the curtain and the cord;^[1]
Come thou and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a la...

William Cowper

Exhortation To Prayer.

What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?


Prayer makes the darkend cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.


Restraining prayer, we cease to fight,
Prayer makes the Christians armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.


While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israels side;
But when through weariness they faild,
That moment Amalek prevaild.^[1]


Have you no words? Ah! think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creatures ear
With the sad t...

William Cowper

Mourning And Longing.

The Saviour hides his face!
My spirit thirsts to prove
Renewd supplies of pardoning grace,
And never-fading love.


The favourd souls who know
What glories shine in him,
Pant for his presence as the roe
Pants for the living stream!


What trifles tease me now!
They swarm like summer flies,
They cleave to everything I do,
And swim before my eyes.


How dull the Sabbath-day,
Without the Sabbaths Lord!
How toilsome then to sing and pray,
And wait upon the word!


Of all the truths I hear,
How few delight my taste!
I glean a berry here and there,
But mourn the vintage past.


Yet let me (as I ought)
Still hope to be supplied;
No pleasure else is worth a thought,
Nor shall I be ...

William Cowper

Looking Upwards In A Storm.

God of my life, to thee I call,
Afflicted at thy feet I fall;
When the great water-floods prevail,^[1]
Leave not my trembling heart to fail!


Friend of the friendless and the faint!
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor!


Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourners plea?
Does not the word still fixd remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?


That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer prayer;
But a prayer-hearing, answering God,
Supports me under every load.


Fair is the lot thats cast for me;
I have an Advocate with thee;
They whom the world caresses most
Have no such p...

William Cowper

Longing To Be With Christ.

To Jesus, the Crown of my hope,
My soul is in haste to be gone:
O bear me, ye cherubim, up,
And waft me away to his throne!


My Saviour, whom absent I love,
Whom, not having seen, I adore;
Whose name is exalted above
All glory, dominion, and power;


Dissolve thou these bonds, that detain
My soul from her portion in thee;
Ah! strike off this adamant chain,
And make me eternally free.


When that happy era begins,
When arrayd in thy glories I shine,
Nor grieve any more, by my sins,
The bosom on which I recline:


Oh, then shall the veil be removed,
And round me thy brightness be pourd;
I shall meet him whom absent I loved,
I shall see whom unseen I adored.


And then, never more shall the ...

William Cowper

A Living And A Dead Faith.

The Lord receives his highest praise
From humble minds and hearts sincere;
While all the loud professor says
Offends the righteous Judges ear.


To walk as children of the day,
To mark the precepts holy light,
To wage the warfare, watch, and pray,
Show who are pleasing in his sight.


Not words alone it cost the Lord,
To purchase pardon for his own;
Nor will a soul, by grace restored,
Return the Saviour words alone.


With golden bells, the priestly vest,
And rich pomegranates borderd round,^[1]
The need of holiness expressd,
And calld for fruit, as well as sound.


Easy, indeed, it were to reach
A mansion in the courts above,
If swelling words and fluent speech
Might serve, instead of faith...

William Cowper