1 When a black o'erspreading cloud
Has darken'd all the air;
And peals of thunder roaring loud,
Proclaim the tempest near.
2 Then guilt and fear, and fruits of sin,
The sinner oft pursue;
A louder storm is heard within,
And conscience thunders too.
3 The law a fiery language speaks,
His danger he perceives;
Like Satan who his ruin seeks,
He trembles and believes.
4 But when the sky serene appears,
And thunders roll no more;
He soon forgets his vows and fears,
Just as he did before.
5 But whither shall the sinner flee,
When nature's mighty frame,
The pond'rous earth, and air, and sea,
Shall all dissolve in flame.
6 Amazing day! it comes apace,
The judge is hast'ning down!
Will sinners bear to see his face,
Or stand before his frown.
7 Lord, let thy mercy find a way
To touch each stubborn heart;
That they may never hear thee say,
"Ye cursed ones depart."
8 Believers you may well rejoice!
The thunder's loudest strains,
Should be to you a welcome voice,
That tells you, "Jesus reigns!"
Source: Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #76
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 >
My Starred Hymns
My FlexScores
My Hymnals
My Purchased Files