STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

While I lived without the Lord Freedom from care

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book III, no. 55, under Psalm 55:22.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 55

METRE

7.7.7.7 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Psalm 55:22 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 8 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

While I lived without the Lord

While I lived without the Lord,

(If I might be said to live)

Nothing could relief afford,

Nothing satisfaction give.

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 Psalm 55:22. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. PSALM 55:22 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ PSALM 55

“Cast, he said, on me thy care, ’Tis enough that I am nigh; I will all thy burdens bear, I will all thy wants supply. STANZA V

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

NO. 55 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN While I lived without the Lord

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