Oh.. my sweetheart made me laugh tonight. I am NOTORIOUS for messing up my pronunciation of words. I held up George M. Ella's book entitled William Cowper and said "you need to read this book on William Cow-per". He smiled with his "ever so patient smile" and said "It's William Cooper and glad you liked it hun". I just laughed and then we got into a discussion on Old English and how they pronounced things differently.
ANYWAYS... As I said.. Good book, it's not what I call a novelization of William Cowper life, it's more of a factual treatise. An interesting book and I learned so much about the man, his struggles, his joys and most importantly his faith. Books like these help broaden one's faith as you see it lived out in the lives of others.
Scattered throughout the book are little pictures. Most of them were images of people that were part of his life. A few were of building that were an important part of his life.
I have to admit, I found it interesting to read about how Cowper was one of the people featured in the Olney Hymnal.. I keep running into that hymnbook as I work through my hymn studies. This hymn below was one of his.
I have to admit, I found it interesting to read about how Cowper was one of the people featured in the Olney Hymnal.. I keep running into that hymnbook as I work through my hymn studies. This hymn below was one of his.
Lover of nature, William Cowper saw it as an expression of God's wonder, and had no problem with combining those two thoughts in his poetry.
From dearth to plenty, and from death to life,
Is Nature’s progress when she lectures man
In heav’nly truth; evincing, as she makes
The grand transition, that there lives and works
A soul in all things, and that soul is God.
The beauties of the wilderness are his,
That make so gay the solitary place
Where no eye sees them. No fairer forms
That cultivation glories in, are his.
He sets the bright procession on its way,
And marshals all the orders of the year. (p.100)
William Cowper was not bound to the conventions of the day, preferring to write his verse without flowery text or societal expectations. Fighting against the slave trade, aiding the poor, criticizing the church, translating the classics and more.
There is much more William Cowper than one might expect and it was a pleasure to learn more about this man.
Seeing how others lived out their life of faith helps me to broaden my horizons. :)
From dearth to plenty, and from death to life,
Is Nature’s progress when she lectures man
In heav’nly truth; evincing, as she makes
The grand transition, that there lives and works
A soul in all things, and that soul is God.
The beauties of the wilderness are his,
That make so gay the solitary place
Where no eye sees them. No fairer forms
That cultivation glories in, are his.
He sets the bright procession on its way,
And marshals all the orders of the year. (p.100)
William Cowper was not bound to the conventions of the day, preferring to write his verse without flowery text or societal expectations. Fighting against the slave trade, aiding the poor, criticizing the church, translating the classics and more.
There is much more William Cowper than one might expect and it was a pleasure to learn more about this man.
Seeing how others lived out their life of faith helps me to broaden my horizons. :)
 | William Cowper, the man of God's Stamp was written by George M. Ella. It is produced by Joshua Press and generously given to me for my impartial review by Sola Scriptura. It is 240 pages long I received a soft cover book approximately 9 inches by 6 inches. The cover is full colour, the interior pictures are all black and white. An informative, interesting to read book. |
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