1 O happy they who know the Lord,
With whom He deigns to dwell!
He feeds and cheers them by His Word,
His arm supports them well.
2 To them, in each distressing hour,
His throne of grace is near;
And when they plead His love and power,
He stands engaged to hear.
3 He helped His saints in ancient days
Who trusted in His name;
And we can witness, to His praise,
His love is still the same.
4 Wandering in sin, our souls He found,
And bid us seek His face;
Gave us to hear the Gospel sound,
And taste the Gospel grace.
5 Oft in His house His glory shines
Before our wondering eyes;
We wish not, then, for golden mines,
Or aught beneath the skies.
6 His presence sweetens all our cares,
And makes our burdens light;
A word from Him dispels our fears,
And gilds the gloom of night.
7 Lord, we expect to suffer here,
Nor would we dare repine;
But give us, still, to find Thee near;
And own us, still, for Thine.
8 Let us enjoy, and highly prize
These tokens of Thy love;
Till Thou shalt bid our spirits rise,
To worship Thee above.
Source: The Cyber Hymnal #8313
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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