The Lord receives his highest praise
From humble minds and hearts sincere;
While all the loud professor says
Offends the righteous Judge’s 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 border’d round,
The need of holiness expressed,
And called 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 and love.
But none shall gain the blissful place,
Or God’s unclouded glory see,
Who talks of free and sovereign grace,
Unless that grace has made him free!
(William Cowper)
More Poetry from William Cowper:
William Cowper Poems based on Topics: Love, Soul, Sense & Perception, Light, War & Peace, Belief & Faith, Place, Sincerity- Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 1. (William Cowper Poems)
- Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 3. (William Cowper Poems)
- A Poetical Epistle To Lady Austen (William Cowper Poems)
- Addressed To Miss Macartney, Afterwards Mrs. Greville, On Reading The Prayer For Indifference (William Cowper Poems)
- A Tale. June 1793 (William Cowper Poems)
- A Figurative Description Of The Procedure Of Divine Love (William Cowper Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Light Poems, Soul Poems, War & Peace Poems, Sense & Perception Poems, Place Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Sincerity PoemsBased on Keywords: pleasing, cost, minds, speech, rich, humble, pardon, swelling, highest, serve, judge