John Newton: 284 Years Old Today

Well how about that. Isaac Watts last week and John Newton this week. I think it's really cool having my birthday bookended by these great pastor/hymnwriters. As most people know John Newton wrote that great hymn "Amazing Grace". It has been said that "Amazing Grace" is America's best loved song of all time.

Newton wrote many more hymns as well. Here's one based on 1 Corinthians 6:11, 20 that we will be singing this week at Wornall Road. It's called "Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder" and it can be sung to the tune of "Angels From the Realms of Glory"

Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood
He has brought us nigh to God

Let us love the Lord Who bought us
Pitied us when enemies
Called us by His grace and taught us
Gave us ears and gave us eyes
He has washed us with His blood
He presents our souls to God

Let us sing though fierce temptation
Threatens hard to bear us down
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqu’ror’s crown
He, Who washed us with His blood,
Soon will bring us home to God

Let us wonder grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store
When through grace in Christ our trust is
Justice smiles and asks no more
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God

Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high
Here they trusted Him before us
Now their praises fill the sky
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou art worthy Lamb of God

Here is a link where you can dig up some more info on John Newton