John Newton, 1779, from Olney Hymns, vol. 1, hymn 89
1. What think you of Christ? is the test To try both your state and your scheme; You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of him. As Jesus appears in your view, As he is beloved or not; So God is disposed to you, And mercy or wrath are your lot.
| 3. Some call him a Saviour, in word, But mix their own works with his plan; And hope he his help will afford, When they have done all that they can: If doings prove rather too light (A little, they own, they may fail) They purpose to make up full weight, By casting his name in the scale.
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5. If asked what of Jesus I think? Though still my best thoughts are but poor; I say, he's my meat and my drink, My life, and my strength, and my store, My Shepherd, my Husband, my Friend, My Saviour from sin and from thrall; My hope from beginning to end, My Portion, my Lord, and my All. |
5 comments:
It's in Gadsby's Selections, an ungainly hymnal (well over 1000 hymns, but no tunes included!) but a wealth of good old hymn lyrics. This one's one of my favorites from there. When I was responsible for some extended quotes for the back of a church bulletin, I used to refer to Gadsby frequetly.
an awesome hymn, though a little clunky in the syncopation.
beautiful...clunky maybe but a poem of sizeable explainations...Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship and this is the words that explain it just as that...it could use a touch of modernization but still a banquet of powerful idiom
That final verse is tombstone material. Absolutely marvellous.
Hi Dan -
Are you aware of this album recently done by our worship pastor, Todd Murray? You can download the mp3 of these great lyrics (and other Newton hymns) set to Todd's music.
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