Prayer answered by Crosses

Representative Text

1 I asked the Lord that I might grow
in faith and love and every grace;
might more of His salvation know,
and seek more earnestly His face.

2 'Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
and He, I trust, has answered prayer,
but it has been in such a way
as almost drove me to despair.

3 I hoped that in some favored hour
at once He's answer my request,
and by His love's constraining pow'r
subdue my sins and give me rest.

4 Instead of this He made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart,
and let the angry pow'rs of hell
assault my soul in every part.

5 Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
inent to aggravate me woe,
crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
humbled my heart, and laid me low.

6 "Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried,
"Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?"
"'Tis in this way," the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith.

7 "These inward trials I employ
from self and pride to set thee ree,
and break thy schemes of earthly joy
that thou may'st find Thy all in Me."

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #427

Author: John Newton

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 >

Text Information

First Line: I asked the Lord that I might grow
Title: Prayer answered by Crosses
Author: John Newton
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

O WALY WALY

O WALY WALY is a traditional English melody associated with the song "O Waly, Waly, gin love be bony," the words of which date back at least to Ramsay's Tea Table Miscellany (1724-1732), and as the setting for a folk ballad about Jamie Douglas. It is also well known in the Appalachian region of the…

Go to tune page >


ROCKINGHAM (Miller)

Edward Miller (b. Norwich, England, 1735; d. Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, 1807) adapted ROCKINGHAM from an earlier tune, TUNEBRIDGE, which had been published in Aaron Williams's A Second Supplement to Psalmody in Miniature (c. 1780). ROCKINGHAM has long associations in Great Britain and North Amer…

Go to tune page >


ABENDS


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2728
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
Text

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #427

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2728

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #519

Include 131 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us