# How does Olney Hymns develop the theme of The Vanity of Worldly Things?

> Olney Hymns by John Newton

## Answer

Olney Hymns by John Newton develops The Vanity of Worldly Things across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.

Earthly pleasures, wealth, and pursuits are consistently portrayed as fleeting, deceptive, and ultimately unsatisfying, in contrast to the lasting value of knowing Christ.

Worldly comforts and achievements are depicted as fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying, while the Lord is the eternal portion.

The speaker acknowledges that the world cannot fill the spiritual void left by the loss of God's presence, highlighting the emptiness of worldly pursuits.

Lot's choice of a fruitful spot led to loss and distress, illustrating the emptiness of worldly prosperity.

## Evidence

- [book-i-on-select-texts-of-scripture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/book-i-on-select-texts-of-scripture.md): Worldly comforts and achievements are depicted as fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying, while the Lord is the eternal portion.
- [3-walking-with-god](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/3-walking-with-god.md): The speaker acknowledges that the world cannot fill the spiritual void left by the loss of God's presence, highlighting the emptiness of worldly pursuits.
- [5-lot-in-sodom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/5-lot-in-sodom.md): Lot's choice of a fruitful spot led to loss and distress, illustrating the emptiness of worldly prosperity.
- [8-esau](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/8-esau.md): The world's pleasures are compared to a morsel of meat, fleeting and unable to profit the soul at death.
- [15-manna](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/15-manna.md): The attempt to store manna results in corruption, showing the futility of hoarding earthly provisions.
- [20-balaam-s-wish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/20-balaam-s-wish.md): Balaam's love for unrighteous gain and his attempt to serve both God and Mammon illustrate the emptiness of worldly pursuits.
- [46-none-upon-earth-i-desire-besides-thee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/46-none-upon-earth-i-desire-besides-thee.md): The poem contrasts the fleeting pleasures of nature and earthly comforts with the enduring joy of Christ's presence.
- [54-vanity-of-life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/54-vanity-of-life.md): The poem explicitly laments the emptiness of earthly pleasures and the inevitable loss of health, wealth, and wisdom, echoing the biblical declaration that all is vanity.

## Links

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