John Newton

For mercies, countless as the sands,
Which daily I receive
From Jesus, my Redeemer's hands,
My soul what canst thou give?Alas! from such a heart as mine,…

The grass, and flowers, which clothe the field,
And look so green and gay,
Touched by the scythe, defenceless yield,
And fall, and fade away.Fit emblem of our mortal state!…

When Joseph his brethren beheld,
Afflicted and trembling with fear;
His heart with compassion was filled,
From weeping he could not forbear.…

'Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do I love the Lord, or no?
Am I his, or am I not?If I love, why am I thus?…

When sinners utter boasting words,
And glory in their shame;
The Lord, well-pleased, an ear affords
To those who fear his name.They often meet to seek his face,…

Thus saith the Lord to Ephesus,
And thus he speaks to some of us;
Amidst my churches, lo,
I stand,

If the Lord our leader be,
We may follow without fear;
East or West, by land or sea,
Home, with him, is everywhere;…

Now let us join with hearts and tongues,
And emulate the angels' songs;
Yea, sinners may address their King In songs that angels cannot sing.
They praise the Lamb who once was slain;

Hear what the Lord, the great Amen,
The true and faithful Witness says!
He formed the vast creation's plan,
And searches all our hearts and ways.To some he speaks as once of old,…

What think you of Christ? is the test
To try both your state and your scheme;
You cannot be right in the rest,
Unless you think rightly of him.…

When Joshua, by God's command,
Invaded Canaan's guilty land;
Gibeon, unlike the nations round,
Submission made and mercy found.

Darkness overspreads us here,
But the night wears fast away;
Jacob's star will soon appear,
Leading on eternal day!…

Quiet,
Lord, my froward heart,
Make me teachable and mild;
Upright, simple, free from art,

Once a woman silent stood
While Jesus sat at meat;
From her eyes she poured a flood
To wash his sacred feet…

Beside the gospel
Appointed for the poor;
From year to year, my helpless
Has waited for a cure.

How lost was my
Till Jesus made me whole!
There is but one
Can cure a sin-sick

When first to make my heart his own,
The Lord revealed his mighty grace;
Self reigned, like Dagon, on the throne,
But could not long maintain its place.It fell, and owned the pow'r divine,…

Sweet was the time when first I felt
The Saviour's pard'ning blood
Applied, to cleanse my soul from guilt,
And bring me home to God.Soon as the morn the light revealed,…

Constrained by their Lord to embark,
And venture, without him, to sea;
The season tempestuous and dark,
How grieved the disciples must be!…

As parched in the barren
Beneath a burning sky,
The worthless bramble with'ring stands,
And only grows to die.

How David, when by sin deceived,
From bad to worse went on!
For when the Holy Spirit's grieved,
Our strength and guard are gone.His eye on Bathsheba once fixed,…

By the poor widow's oil and
Elijah was sustained;
Though small the stock it lasted well,
For God the store maintained.

When the beloved disciple took
The angels' little open book,
Which by the Lord's command he eat,
It tasted bitter after sweet.Thus when the gospel is embraced,…

As the serpent raised by
Healed the burning serpent's bite;
Jesus thus himself
To the wounded sinner's sight: