A Sunday morning Equip Class on John Newton’s friendship with William Cowper, taught by Alex DiPrima on 8/9/26.
In this Equip Class, Alex DiPrima tells the remarkable story of the friendship between John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” and William Cowper, one of the greatest English poets and hymn writers of the eighteenth century. After tracing Newton’s dramatic conversion and Cowper’s conversion amid severe struggles with depression and repeated attempts to take his own life, DiPrima shows how God brought the two men together in Olney, England, where they developed an extraordinarily close and affectionate friendship. Newton walked faithfully alongside Cowper through years of profound darkness, praying with him, reading Scripture to him, caring for him, and refusing to abandon him even when his efforts seemed to produce little visible change. Their friendship also produced the influential Olney Hymns, including Newton’s “Amazing Grace” and Cowper’s “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” DiPrima draws three primary lessons from their story: Christians should cultivate deep and affectionate friendships, love others faithfully and perseveringly even when doing so is difficult, and trust the sovereignty, wisdom, and love of God when our efforts to help those we love seem ineffective.
This lesson is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
