1 While I to grief my soul gave way,
To see the work of God decline
Methought I heard the Savior say,
"Dismiss thy fears, the ark is mine.
2 "Though for a time I hide my face,
Rely upon my love and power:
Still wrestle at the throne of grace,
And wait for a reviving hour.
3 "Take down thy long neglected harp,
I've seen thy tears, and heard thy prayer;
The winter season has been sharp,
But spring shall all its wastes repair."
4 Lord, I obey, my hopes revive,
Come join with me, ye saints, and sing;
Our foes in vain against us strive,
For God will help and triumph bring.
The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799
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 tumulÂtuous 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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