Olney Hymns · Chapter
Hatred of Sin explained
The poem expresses a deep hatred of sin and a longing for deliverance from its presence, even while acknowledging the believer's love for God's truth.
What happens
The poem expresses a deep hatred of sin and a longing for deliverance from its presence, even while acknowledging the believer's love for God's truth. It portrays sin as a poison and a chain, and looks forward to the moment when death or the sight of Christ will forever destroy it.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs in stanza V, where the speaker’s hope is violently extinguished as Satan obscures ev…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Human Sinfulness and Depravity
The poem vividly describes sin as a poison and a chain, emphasizing its pervasive and corrupting influence.
- Hope of Heaven and Eternal Life
The believer hopes for deliverance from sin through death and the glorious sight of Christ, anticipating the bliss of heaven.
Characters to notice
- The Lord
Addresses God as 'Holy Lord God' and expresses love for His truth.
- Jesus Christ
The final vision of Jesus as He is will strike all sin dead.
- Death
Death is seen as the means to set the believer free from sin.
- Sin
Sin is personified as a serpent's tooth and a poison, the only thing hated.
Key passages
“Yet pierced by sin, the serpent’s tooth, I mourn the anguish of the bite.”
Even though I love God's truth, I am wounded by sin, which stings like a serpent, and I grieve over the pain it causes.
The poet uses the metaphor of a serpent's bite to illustrate the painful and poisonous effect of sin.
“But oh! no foe invades the bliss When glory crowns the Christian’s head; One view of Jesus as he is Will strike all sin for ever dead.”
When a Christian is glorified in heaven, no enemy can disturb that joy; just seeing Jesus as He truly is will permanently destroy all sin.
The final stanza expresses the ultimate victory over sin through the beatific vision of Christ.
