STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Often thy public means of grace

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book III, no. 95, under Judges 5:11.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 95

METRE

8.8.6.8.8.6 3 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

Judges 5:11 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 3 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

Often thy public means of grace

Often thy public means of grace,

Thy thirsty people’s wat’ring place,

The archers have beset;

Attacked them in thy house of prayer,

To prison dragged, or to the bar,

When thus together met.

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under Judges 5:11. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates: JUDGES 5:11 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ JUDGES 5

Often thy public means of grace, Thy thirsty people’s wat’ring place, The archers have beset; Attacked them in thy house of prayer, To prison dragged, or to the bar, When thus together met. STANZA I

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

NO. 95 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Often thy public means of grace

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.