{
 "id": "john-newton/the-book-of-creation",
 "title": "The Book of Creation",
 "ordinal": "81",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 222,
 "container": "IV Creation",
 "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": 39,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [
  {
   "ordinal": "I",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    0,
    1
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "II",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    1,
    2
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "III",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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    3
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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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": [
    6,
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VIII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    7,
    8
   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The book of nature open lies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With much instruction stored:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But till the Lord anoints our eyes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We cannot read a word.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Philosophers have pored in vain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And guess’d from age to age;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "For reason’s eye could ne’er attain",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To understand a page.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Though to each star they give a name,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Its size and motions teach,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The truths which all the stars proclaim",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their wisdom cannot reach.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "With skill to measure earth and sea,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And weigh the subtle air,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "They cannot, Lord, discover thee",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though present everywhere.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The knowledge of the saints excels",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The wisdom of the schools;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To them his secrets God reveals",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though men account them fools.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "To them the sun and stars on high,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The flow’rs that paint the field,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And all the artless birds that fly,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Divine instructions yield.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The creatures on their senses press,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As witnesses to prove",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Their Saviour’s power and faithfulness,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His providence and love.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thus may we study nature’s book,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To make us wise indeed!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "And pity those who only look",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At what they cannot read.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}