Editing Amazing Grace (section)

=== ''Olney Hymns'' ===
{{main|Olney Hymns}}
{{quote box
| align = right
| fontsize= 95%
| width = 20em
| quote =
<poem>
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
   That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
   Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
   And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
   The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares,
   I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
   And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis'd good to me,
   His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
   As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
   And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
   A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
   The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
   Will be forever mine.
</poem>

| source = John Newton, ''[[Olney Hymns]]'', 1779
}}

Olney was a village of about 2,500 residents whose main industry was making lace by hand. The people were mostly illiterate and many of them were poor.<ref name="aitken224">Aitken, p. 224.</ref> Newton's preaching was unique in that he shared many of his own experiences from the pulpit; many clergy preached from a distance, not admitting any intimacy with temptation or sin. He was involved in his parishioners' lives and was much loved, although his writing and delivery were sometimes unpolished.<ref>Martin (1950), pp. 208–217.</ref> But his devotion and conviction were apparent and forceful, and he often said his mission was to "break a hard heart and to heal a broken heart".<ref name="pollock"/> He struck a friendship with [[William Cowper]], a gifted writer who had failed at a career in law and suffered bouts of insanity, attempting suicide several times. Cowper enjoyed Olney{{snd}} and Newton's company; he was also new to Olney and had gone through a spiritual conversion similar to Newton's. Together, their effect on the local congregation was impressive. In 1768, they found it necessary to start a weekly prayer meeting to meet the needs of an increasing number of parishioners. They also began writing lessons for children.<ref>Turner, p. 76.</ref>

Partly from Cowper's literary influence, and partly because learned vicars were expected to write verses, Newton began to try his hand at hymns, which had become popular through the language, made plain for common people to understand. Several prolific hymn writers were at their most productive in the 18th century, including [[Isaac Watts]]{{snd}} whose hymns Newton had grown up hearing<ref>Aitken, p. 28.</ref>{{snd}} and [[Charles Wesley]], with whom Newton was familiar. Wesley's brother [[John Wesley|John]], the eventual founder of the Methodist Church, had encouraged Newton to go into the clergy.{{efn|Watts had previously written a hymn named "[[Alas! and Did My Saviour Bleed]]" that contained the lines "Amazing pity! Grace unknown!/ And love beyond degree!". [[Philip Doddridge]], another well-known hymn writer, wrote another in 1755 titled "The Humiliation and Exaltation of God's Israel" that began "Amazing grace of God on high!" and included other similar wording to Newton's verses. Newton biographer Jonathan Aitken states that Watts had inspired most of Newton's compositions. (Turner, pp. 82–83.)(Aitken, pp. 28–29.)}} Watts was a pioneer in English hymn writing, basing his work after the [[Psalms]]. The most prevalent hymns by Watts and others were written in the [[common meter]] in 8.6.8.6: the first line is eight syllables and the second is six.<ref name="turner77-79">Turner, pp. 77–79.</ref>

Newton and Cowper attempted to present a poem or hymn for each prayer meeting. The lyrics to "Amazing Grace" were written in late 1772 and probably used in a prayer meeting for the first time on 1 January 1773.<ref name="turner77-79"/> A collection of the poems Newton and Cowper had written for use in services at Olney was bound and published anonymously in 1779 under the title ''[[Olney Hymns]]''. Newton contributed 280 of the 348 texts in ''Olney Hymns''; "1 Chronicles 17:16–17, Faith's Review and Expectation" was the title of the poem with the first line "Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)".<ref name="dah"/>