Lord, my God, I long to know

Lord, my God, I long to know

Author: John Newton
Published in 15 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Lord, my God, I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought,
Do I love Thee, Lord, or no?
Am I Thine, or am I not?

2 Could my heart so hard remain,
Prayer a task and burden prove,
Any duty give pain,
If I knew a Saviour's love?

3 When I turn mine eyes within,
Oh how dark, and vain, and wild!
Prone to unbelief and sin,
Can I deem myself thy child?

4 Yet I mourn my stubborn will,
Find my sin a grief and thrall:
Should I grief for what I feel
If I did not love at all?

5 Could I love thy saints to meet,
Choose the ways I once abhorred,
Find at times the promise sweet,
If I did not love Thee, Lord?

6 Saviour, let me love Thee more,
If I love at all, I pray;
If I have not loved before,
Help me to begin to-day.

Source: The Book of Worship #209

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: Lord, my God, I long to know
Author: John Newton
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 15 of 15)
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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #671

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A Collection of Sacred Song #93(H151)

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A Collection of Sacred Song #93(H151)

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Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home #294

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Hymns for Public Worship #375

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Hymns Recommended for use in the Reformed Episcopal Church #225

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Selections from the Psalms of David in Metre #H151

Soldier's Prayer Book. Hospitals ed. #d57

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Songs of Devotion for Christian Assocations #577

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The Book of Worship #209

The Church Manual #d4

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The Disciples' Hymn Book #81

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The Lecture-Room Hymn-Book #H151

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Hymns of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, as authorized by the General Convention #151

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