1 Poor, weak, and worthless though I am,
I have a rich almighty friend;
Jesus, the Saviour, is His name,
He freely loves, and without end.
2 He ransom'd me from hell with blood,
And, by His power, my foes controll'd;
He found me wand'ring far from God,
And brought me to His chosen fold.
3 But, ah! my inmost spirit mourns;
And well my eyes with tears may swim,
To think of my perverse returns:
I’ve been a faithless friend to Him.
4 Often my gracious Friend I grieve,
Neglect, distrust, and disobey;
And often Satan’s lies believe
Sooner than all my Friend can say.
5 Sure, were I not most vile and base,
I could not thus my Friend requite!
And were not He the God of grace,
He'd frown and spurn me from his sight.
Source: Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #422
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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