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Ensnared, too long, my heart has been Waiting at Wisdom’s gates

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book II, no. 23, under Proverbs 8:34–35.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 23

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 7 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Proverbs 8:34–35 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 7 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

Ensnared, too long, my heart has been

In folly’s hurtful ways;

O, may I now, at length, begin

To hear what Wisdom says!

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 Proverbs 8:34–35. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

34Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway. 35For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD. PROVERBS 8:34–35 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PROVERBS 8

Approach my soul to Wisdom’s gates While it is called today; No one who watches there and waits Shall e’er be turned away. STANZA III

Its place in the book

Book II of the hymn book, “On occasional subjects”, holds these hymns in this order: 100 hymns. This is number 23. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 23 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Ensnared, too long, my heart has been

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