"Amazing Grace": Hymns As Poetry


Poet	ry > "Amazing Grace": Hymns As Poetry

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1

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

2

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

3

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

4

The Lord has promised good to me;
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

5

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.

6

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow;
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

7

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

Part 2: The Background of "Amazing Grace"

"Amazing Grace" is an autobiographical hymn by John Newton (1725-1807). Formerly a seaman and first officer aboard slave ships, Newton lived a debauched, hardened life until a fearful storm at sea awakened him, and the Mercy and Grace of the LORD Jesus Christ saved him. John Newton was the son of an English merchant sea captain. His mother gave him some religious instruction before she died in 1732. After a brief education at a boarding school in Stratford, Essex, the young Newton at the age of eleven realized his dream of going to sea with his father for six voyages-- all by 1742. Though he was then impressed into the British Navy in 1743, his father's influence helped him to become a midshipman. But, Newton deserted and after his recapture was reduced to the rank of a common seaman in 1745. As things further unraveled, he requested to be exchanged to a slave ship, which brought him to the coast of Sierra Leon. He then became a servant to a slave trader, who treated him brutally. Another master was more humane and even gave him a share in the business; but, he was rescued in 1748 by a captain that his father asked to look out for him.

It was in Newton's pivotal year of 1748 on March 21st that he was piloting a ship through a raging storm off the NW coast of Ireland. With nearly two decades of maritime experience behind him, he was well aware that the ship and those aboard were all but lost. Newton began to cry, "Lord have mercy on us!" But, he thought, "What mercy can there be for me?" Nonetheless, he desperately prayed, and God answered. The storm abated. John Newton recorded, "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me from deep waters." He subsequently celebrated that "great deliverance" as the day of his conversion to the LORD Jesus Christ. His understanding of the Christian faith was still so limited that he continued as first mate aboard slave ships until ill health forced his retirement in 1754. By this time, he had married in 1750 to his childhood sweetheart, Mary Catlett, had taught himself Latin, mastered the first six books of Euclid, intensely studied the Scriptures, and received his Calvinistic views of theology from another slaver, Captain Clunie. "When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God" (Psalm 78:34).

Newton summarized his early life in the autobiographical sketch, The Authentic Narrative (1764). He held the post of surveyor of the tides at Liverpool from 1755 to 1760. Both George Whitefield and John Wesley became his friends during this time in Liverpool. Studying Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac, he applied for and was initially denied ordination with the Church of England in 1758; however, he gained the patronage of the evangelical nobleman, Lord Dartmouth, and was ordained into the Church with the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire in 1764. With a supplemental income from John Thornton, an evangelical merchant who only recently had become impressed with Newton's testimony through The Authentic Narrative, John Newton began to preach incessantly to ever larger crowds with many friendships among the dissenting ministers. His ministry in Olney continued until 1780. During this time the poet William Cowper (1731-1800), composer of "There Is a Fountain," came to live in Olney, joining with Newton in his religious endeavours (1767). This fruitful period for John Newton saw the publishing of his Olney Sermons (1767) and the Olney Hymns (1779), with Cowper contributing sixty-eight hymns and Newton 280. "Amazing Grace" was composed by John Newton probably between 1760 and 1770 for one of the weekly services. The first six stanzas noted above were included in the 1779 and 1808 editions of the Olney Hymns. The seventh stanza and others were probably composed by various writers over the years. The melody is noted in hymnals as an early American folk melody, and some even speculate that it may have come from a song that slaves sang. Many hymn books include only the first three stanzas with the seventh stanza.

In 1780, Newton moved to London, where his congregational preaching reached an even greater audience. Most notably, he counseled William Wilberforce at the time of his conversion in 1785, and he helped Wilberforce in the great movement to abolish slavery by publishing in 1788 his own experiences in the slave trade. Surely there must have been great satisfaction for Newton to have struck back at his old sin of slavery and aided in its falling out of favor in the British Empire. His wife and lifelong friend, Mary, died of cancer in 1790. He gradually went blind, but preached to the last year of his death. When asked to discontinue his preaching (for his own benefit), he said, "I cannot stop. What! shall the old African blasphemer stop while he can speak?" On December 21st 1807, John Newton died and was buried next to his beloved Mary.

Part 3: The Scripture of "Amazing Grace"

FIRST STANZA

"8 For by Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

"2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For What Saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for Righteousness" (Romans 4:2-3).

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an Holy Calling, not according to our works, but according to His Own Purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2Timothy 1:9).

"Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to His Mercy He saved us, by the Washing of Regeneration, and Renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).

"6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry" (Luke 15:6, 9, 24).

"5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the World. 6 When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the Pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This Man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. 17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of Him, that He hath opened thine eyes? He [the man that was blind] said, He is a prophet. 24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this Man is a sinner. 25 He answered and said, Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 29 [The Pharisees said,] We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this Fellow, we know not from whence He is. 30 The man [that was blind] answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him He heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing. 34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, LORD, I believe. And he worshipped Him" (John 9:5-7, 11, 15-17, 24-25, 29-38).

SECOND STANZA

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him That Justifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5).

"For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed" (Romans 10:11).

"22 What if God, willing to shew His Wrath, and to make His Power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that He might make known the riches of His Glory on the Vessels of Mercy, which He had afore prepared unto Glory" (Romans 9:22-23).

"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth" (2Timothy 2:25).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

"But He giveth More Grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the Proud, but giveth Grace unto the Humble" (James 4:6).

"But the God of All Grace, Who hath called us unto His Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1Peter 5:10).

"And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2:23).

"We which have believed do enter into rest" (Hebrews 4:3).

THIRD STANZA

"4 Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:4-5).

"18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:18-19).

"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8).

"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him" (Psalm 12:5).

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

"The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD" (Proverbs 21:31).

"I being in the way, the LORD led me" (Genesis 24:27).

"5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me" (Psalm 49:15).

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy Counsel, and afterward receive me to Glory" (Psalm 73:24).

"For the LORD God is a Sun and Shield: the LORD will give Grace and Glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).

FOURTH STANZA

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" (Psalm 23:6).

"7 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. 9 For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light. 10 O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart" (Psalm 36:7-10).

"And now, LORD, what wait I for? my Hope is in Thee" (Psalm 39:7).

"For Thou art my Hope, O LORD GOD: Thou art my Trust from my youth" (Psalm 71:5).

"Uphold me according unto Thy Word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my Hope" (Psalm 119:116).

"The God of my Rock; in Him will I trust: He is my Shield, and the horn of my Salvation, my High Tower, and my Refuge, my Saviour; Thou savest me from violence" (2Samuel 22:3).

"The LORD is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him" (Psalm 28:7).

"My Goodness, and my Fortress; my High Tower, and my Deliverer; my Shield, and He in Whom I trust; Who subdueth my people under me" (Psalm 144:2).

"My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my Portion for ever" (Psalm 73:26).

"I cried unto Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my Refuge and my Portion in the land of the living" (Psalm 142:5).

"The LORD is my Portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:24).

"14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the LORD will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:14-15).

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10).

FIFTH STANZA

"24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the Word of the LORD endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you" (1Peter 1:24-25).

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19).

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

"7 And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the Earth: for the LORD hath spoken it" (Isaiah 25:7-8).

"18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:18-19).

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21).

"Rejoice evermore" (1Thessalonians 5:16).

"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1Peter 4:13).

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).

"11 But the meek shall inherit the Earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psalm 37:11, 37).

"To the counsellors of peace is joy" (Proverbs 12:20).

"3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. 12 LORD, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us" (Isaiah 26:3, 12).

"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).

SIXTH STANZA

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the Earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but My salvation shall be for ever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished" (Isaiah 51:6).

"But the day of the LORD will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2Peter 3:10).

"1 And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth: for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:1-4).

"2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:2, 31).

"And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the Beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain" (Revelation 16:10).

"3 And there shall be no more curse: but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: 4 And they shall see His Face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:3-5).

"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (1Peter 1:15).

"9 But ye are a Chosen Generation, a Royal Priesthood, an Holy Nation, a Peculiar People; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps" (1Peter 2:9, 21).

"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing" (1Peter 3:9).

"But the God of All Grace, Who hath called us unto His Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1Peter 5:10).

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine" (Isaiah 43:1).

"21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's" (1Corinthians 3:21-23).

"3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4).

SEVENTH STANZA

"18 But the Saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the people of the Saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:18, 27).

"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the LORD God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5).

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the LORD, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD" (2Corinthians 3:18).

"2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1John 3:2-3).

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof" (Revelation 21:23).

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).

"1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).

"Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11).

"15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:15-17).

"1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works. 6 And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts: and I will declare Thy greatness. 7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Thy works shall praise Thee, O LORD; and Thy Saints shall bless Thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. 14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in Truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked will He destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:1-21).

"9 And they sung a New Song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the Earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the Earth, and under the Earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Revelation 5:9-13).

Amen, and Amen.

[Read our series of articles, "The Spirit of Slavery (Part 1)" ---New Window and "The Spirit of Slavery (Part 2)" ---New Window, dealing with the evils of slavery in the Pre-Civil War United States, the American Civil War, and the implications of that slavery.]

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