Smart's "Hymns" are modelled after a tradition exemplified by Robert Nelson. They are steeped in Anglican tradition and also emphasise English patriotism and England's divine favour. The "Hymns", according to Guest, " a delight in creation that is largely absent from the work of other hymn-writers of the century, unless they are paraphrasing the words of David." To Hawes, the "Hymns" exemplify an evangelical spirit that separates Smart from the traditional Anglican church. Although he wrote his second set of hymns, "Hymns for the Amusement of Children", for a younger audience, Smart cares more about emphasising the need for children to be moral instead of "innocent". These works have been seem as possibly too complicated for "amusement" because they employee ambiguities and complicated theological concepts. In essence, the "Hymns for the Amusement of Children" is intended to teach children the specific virtues that make up the subject matter of the work. Like the "Hymns for the Amusement of Children", Smart's "The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" were designed to teach morals. However, these "Parables" alter the original Biblical parables in order to simplify them and help them "make sense" As such, Todd Parker claims that the "Parables", and the other religious works of Smart, are part of his final push for the "evangelization of London's reading public."