{
 "id": "john-newton/the-creatures-in-the-lords-hands",
 "title": "The Creatures in the Lord’s Hands",
 "ordinal": "97",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 238,
 "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": 28,
  "n_stanzas": 7,
  "n_parts": 7,
  "longest_line_chars": 44,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "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": [
    2,
    3
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    3,
    4
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "V",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    4,
    5
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    5,
    6
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VII",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    6,
    7
   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The water stood like walls of brass,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To let the sons of Isr’el pass,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And from the rock in rivers burst,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At Moses pray’r, to quench their thirst.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The fire, restrain’d by God’s commands,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Could only burn his people’s bands;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Too faint, when he was with them there,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To singe their garments or their hair.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "At Daniel’s feet the lions lay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Like harmless lambs, nor touch’d their prey;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And ravens, which on carrion fed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Procured Elijah flesh and bread.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thus creatures only can fulfill",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their great Creator’s holy will;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And when his servants need their aid,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His purposes must be obey’d.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So, if his blessing he refuse,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Their pow’r to help they quickly lose;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sure as on creatures we depend,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our hopes in disappointment end.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then let us trust the Lord alone,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And creature-confidence disown:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Nor if they threaten need we fear,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They cannot hurt if he be near.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If instruments of pain they prove,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Still they are guided by his love;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As lancets by the surgeon’s skill,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which wound to cure, and not to kill.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}