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God moves in a mysterious way Light shining out of darkness

William Cowper printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book III, no. 15.

WRITTEN BY

William Cowper 1731–1800

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 15

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 6 stanzas

IN HYMNALS

1,207 listed at Hymnary.org

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 6 stanzas as Cowper 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

Its place in the book

Book III of the hymn book, “On the progress and changes of the spiritual life”, holds these hymns in this order: 106 hymns. This is number 15. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 15 · WILLIAM COWPER · THIS HYMN God moves in a mysterious way

Where hymnals place it

Printed hymnals list, for each hymn, the Bible passages it goes with, so a church can choose a hymn for the day's reading. Gathered from the hymnals Hymnary.org catalogues, editors have tied this hymn to 19 passages in 11 books. One square is one passage; a ringed square is one the hymn's own lines echo. Point at a square to read it; click to open it beside the page.

Genesis 2

2 Samuel 1

Job 3

Psalms 5

Proverbs 1

Ecclesiastes 1

Jeremiah 1

Daniel 2

Philippians 1

Colossians 1

2 Peter 1

PSALM 77:19ECHOED IN STANZA I

19Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.

a passage hymnals tie it to one its lines echo (1)

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