My God! how perfect are thy ways!
Book 1, Hymn 67 · William Cowper · Public-domain words
My God! how perfect are thy ways!
Book 1, Hymn 67 · William Cowper
The words
- 1
Stanza 1. My God! how perfect are thy ways!But mine polluted are;Sin twines itself about my praise,And slides into my prayer.
- 2
Stanza 2. When I would speak what thou hast doneTo save me from my sin;I cannot make thy mercies knownBut self–applause creeps in.
- 3
Stanza 3. Divine desire, that holy flameThy grace creates in me;Alas! impatience is its name,When it returns to thee.
- 4
Stanza 4. This heart, a fountain of vile thoughts,How does it overflow?While self upon the surface floatsStill bubbling from below.
- 5
Stanza 5. Let others in the gaudy dressOf fancied merit shine;The LORD shall be my righteousnessThe LORD for ever mine.
Olney Hymns (1779), Book 1, Hymn 67. William Cowper. Public domain. CCEL transcription with modernized spelling. www.praylock.com/olney-hymns/1-67
About these words
William Cowper lived from 1731 to 1800. These historical words are public domain.
This hymn belongs to the complete three-book collection first published in 1779.
The CCEL transcription modernizes spelling and some punctuation. Read this hymn at the source. Checked 23 October 2026.
No sheet music or recordings are included. This web collection is separate from the PrayLock iPhone app.
Begin with prayer.
Choose the apps that take your attention, and put prayer before them. PrayLock requires a Pro subscription.
Download on theApp Store
On a computer? Scan with your iPhone camera to open PrayLock on the App Store.
