Amazing Grace

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Amazing Grace (1779)
John Newton

(c. 1772) is one of the most well-known Christian hymns. The words thereof are part of the Olney Hymns that the author had worked on, with William Cowper and other hymnodists.
The text was first set to the tune NEW BRITAIN in William Walker's Southern Harmony, 1835.

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11517Amazing GraceJohn Newton
Olney Hymns, 1779

Faith's Review and Expectation by John Newton

Based on 1 Chronicles 17:16–17
As appeared in Olney Hymns, 1779

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

[The following verse was added in Collection of Sacred Ballads, 1790:]

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse


Also available as an audio file: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/AmazingGrace.MID