{
 "id": "john-newton/on-the-death-of-a-believer",
 "title": "On the Death of a Believer",
 "ordinal": "72",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 213,
 "container": "Funeral Hymns",
 "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": 32,
  "n_stanzas": 8,
  "n_parts": 8,
  "longest_line_chars": 40,
  "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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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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  },
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   "ordinal": "V",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VIII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    7,
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   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "In vain our fancy strives to paint",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The moment after death,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The glories that surround the saints",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When yielding up their breath.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "One gentle sigh their fetters breaks;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We scarce can say, “They’re gone!”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Before the willing spirit takes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Her mansion near the throne.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Faith strives, but all its efforts fail",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To trace her in her flight;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "No eye can pierce within the veil",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which hides that world of light",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thus much (and this is all) we know,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They are completely bless’d⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Have done with sin and care and woe,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And with their Saviour rest.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "On harps of gold they praise his name,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His face they always view;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Then let us foll’wers be of them,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That we may praise him too.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Their faith and patience, love and zeal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Should make their mem’ry dear;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And, Lord, do thou the pray’rs fulfill",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They offer’d for us here.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "While they have gain’d we losers are,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We miss them day by day:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But thou canst every breach repair,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And wipe our tears away.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "We pray, as in Elisha’s case,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When great Elijah went⁠—",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "May double portions of thy grace",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To us who stay be sent.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}