Light Shining Out of Darkness

Cowper’s hymn, placed towards the end of the Neoclassical Period but right before the beginning of the Romantic Era, is a product of the Enlightenment, also referred to as the “Age of Reason.” The Enlightenment era, which spans from the late-17th century to the early-19th century, is responsible for sweeping advancements in politics, science, and philosophy, among other disciplines. The Neoclassical Period can also be characterized as a reversion back to and imitation of the Greek and Roman classics. In a time where humankind was considered to be at the apex of thought and scientific discovery, it would have been a revolutionary concept for Cowper to point out how weak and ill-equipped the human mind really is when put side-by-side with the Lord. Despite all of humanity’s advancements, God’s works are “mysterious” (Line 1) and “unfathomable” (Line 5). Faced with the sacred mysteries of God, the initial response of humankind is fear. The speaker has to admonish his audience, the “fearful saints” (Line 9), to “fresh courage take” (Line 9). Even though they may not fully comprehend something, the speaker instructs, that doesn’t mean that God is to be avoided or shunned. Instead of responding to the awful might of the Lord with “trust” (Line 14), humankind’s gut reaction is to react with their “feeble sense” (Line 13) and “blind unbelief” (Line 21).