1 The lion that on Sampson roar'd,
And thirsted for his blood;
With honey afterwards was stor'd,
And furnish'd him with food.
2 Believers, as they pass along,
With many lions meet;
But gather sweetness from the strong,
And from the eater, meat.
3 The lions rage and roar in vain,
For Jesus is their shield;
Their losses prove a certain gain,
Their troubles comfort yield.
4 The world and Satan join their strength,
To fill their soul with fears;
But crops of joy they reap at length,
From what they sow in tears.
5 Afflictions make them love the word,
Stir up their hearts to pray'r;
And many precious proofs afford
Of their Redeemer's care.
6 The lions roar, but cannot kill;
Then fear them not my friends;
They bring us, though against their will,
The honey Jesus sends.
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians, 1803
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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