1 Does it not grief and wonder move,
To think of Israel's dreadful fall,
Who needed miracles to prove,
Whether the Lord was God or Baal.
2 Methinks I see Elijah stand,
His features glow with love and zeal,
In faith and pray'r he lifts his hand,
And makes to heav'n his great appeal.
3 O God if I thy servant am,
If 'tis thy message fills my heart,
Now glorify thy holy name,
And shew this people who thou art.
4 He spoke, and lo! a sudden flame,
Consum'd the wood, the dust, the stone,
The people struck, at once proclaim,
"The Lord is God, the Lord alone."
5 Like him we mourn an awful day,
When more for Baal than God appear,
Like him, believers, let us pray,
And may the God of Isr'el hear.
6 Lord if thy servant speaks the truth,
If he indeed is sent by thee,
Confirm the word to all our youth,
And let them thy salvation see.
7 Now may the spirit's holy fire,
Pierce ev'ry heart that hears thy word,
Consume each hurtful vain desire,
And make them know, thou art the Lord.
Source: Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs, for the use of religious assemblies and private Christians: being a collection #CVI
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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