Thus saith the holy One, and true

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Thus saith the holy One, and true

Author: John Newton
Published in 12 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Thus saith the holy One, and true,
To his beloved faithful few;
"Of heaven and hell I hold the keys,
To shut, or open, as I please.

2 "I know thy works, and I approve,
Though small thy strength, sincere thy love;
Go on, my word and name to own,
For none shall rob thee of thy crown.

3 "Before thee see my mercy's door
Stands open wide to shut no more;
Fear not temptation's fiery day,
For I will be thy strength and stay.

4 "Thou hast my promise, hold it fast,
The trying hour will soon be past;
Rejoice, for lo! I quickly come,
To take thee to my heavenly home.

5 "A pillar there no more to move,
Inscribed with all my names of love;
A monument of mighty grace,
Thou shalt forever have a place."

6 Such is the conqueror's reward,
Prepared and promised by the Lord!
Let him that hath the ear of faith,
Attend to what the Spirit saith.

The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799

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Author: John Newton

John Newton (b. London, England, 1725; d. London, 1807) was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumultuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton's conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide… Go to person page >

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