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Believers Hymn Book · No. 98 · Words: William Cowper · Tune: Melcombe

I thirst, but not as once I did

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A hymn by William Cowper (1731–1800), first published in the Olney Hymns (1779). It contrasts the soul's former thirst for earthly pleasures with a transformed longing for God, tracing the change to the sight of Christ's cross.

Verse 1

I thirst, but not as once I did,
The vain delights of earth to share;
Thy wounds, Emmanuel, all forbid
That I should seek my pleasure there.

Verse 2

It was the sight of Thy dear Cross
First weaned my soul from earthly things,
And taught me to esteem as dross
The mirth of fools and pomp of kings.

Verse 3

Great Fountain of delight unknown!
No longer sink below the brim;
But overflow, and pour me down
A living and life-giving stream.

Appears in these collections

Hymns About Faith Hymns About Salvation Hymns of Assurance Hymns About Grace

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