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Strange and mysterious is my life The inward warfare

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 130, under Galatians 5:17.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 130

METRE

8.8.8.8.8.8 6 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Galatians 5:17 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

Strange and mysterious is my life

Strange and mysterious is my life,

What opposites I feel within!

A stable peace, a constant strife,

The rule of grace, the pow’r of sin:

Too often I am captive led,

Yet daily triumph in my Head.

No line of this stanza quotes a verse closely; it is the hymn's own confession.

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Galatians 5:17. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. GALATIANS 5:17 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ GALATIANS 5

Thus different pow’rs within me strive, And grace, and sin, by turns prevail; I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive, And vict’ry hangs in doubtful scale: But JESUS has his promise passed, That grace shall overcome at last. STANZA VI

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 130. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 130 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Strange and mysterious is my life

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