{
 "id": "john-newton/a-famine-of-the-word",
 "title": "A Famine of the Word",
 "ordinal": "49",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 190,
 "container": "II Ordinances",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1779,
  "venue": "Olney Hymns (1779)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_olney-hymns-in-three-bo_newton-john_1779",
   "https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/bulletin/computerised-index-to-the-olney-hymns/",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-newton_william-cowper_olney-hymns",
  "file": "book-2.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Olney_Hymns_%281840%29",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-15"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 36,
  "n_stanzas": 9,
  "n_parts": 9,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [
  {
   "ordinal": "I",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    0,
    1
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "II",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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  },
  {
   "ordinal": "III",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   "title": null,
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   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
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  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VIII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   "ordinal": "IX",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Gladness was spread through Isr’el’s host",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When first they manna view’d;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "They labour’d who should gather most,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And thought it pleasant food.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But when they had it long enjoy’d,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From day to day the same,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Their hearts were by the plenty cloy’d,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Although from heav’n it came.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thus gospel-bread at first is prized,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And makes a people glad;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But afterwards too much despised",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When easy to be had.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But should the Lord, displeased, withhold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The bread his mercy sends,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To have our houses fill’d with gold",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Would make but poor amends.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "How tedious would the week appear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "How dull the Sabbath prove,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Could we no longer meet to hear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The precious truths we love!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "How would believing parents bear",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To leave their heedless youth",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Exposed to every fatal snare,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Without the light of truth?",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The gospel, and a praying few,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our bulwark long have proved;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But Olney sure the day will rue",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When these shall be removed.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then sin, in this once favour’d town,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Will triumph unrestrain’d;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And wrath and vengeance hasten down,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No more by pray’r detain’d.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Preserve us from this judgment, Lord,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For Jesus’ sake, we plead;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "A famine of the gospel-word",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Would be a stroke indeed!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}