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The church a garden is The Barren fig-tree

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 103, under Luke 13:6–9.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 103

METRE

6.6.6.6.8.8 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Luke 13:6–9 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Newton printed them, with the verses their lines echo beside them. Point at a line to join it to its verse; click to read the passage.

SHARED WORDSthe verse shares the line's wording ECHOproposed by an AI model, confirmed by a separate check Not the author's own notes

AMONG THE SCRIPTURES

The stanzas at the centre; around them, every book its heading and its echoes come from, Old Testament on the left and New on the right. Choose a stanza or a book.

a line echoes this verse its heading or an echo comes from here

STANZA I

The church a garden is

In which believers stand,

Like ornamental trees

Planted by God’s own hand:

His Spirit waters all their roots,

And every branch abounds with fruits.

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Luke 13:6–9. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

6Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’” LUKE 13:6–9 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ LUKE 13

The under gard’ner grieves, In vain his strength he spends, For heaps of useless leaves, Afford him small amends: He hears the LORD his will make known, To cut the barren fig–trees down. STANZA III

Its place in the book

Book I of Olney Hymns walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one hymn per passage: 141 hymns. This is number 103. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 103 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN The church a garden is

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