Beyond Amazing Grace

I've been watching one of the services of First Baptist Church in Muscle Shoals, AL. What a biblical church! The one I've watched had Todd Murray doing a presentation on John Newton and it was great. He's written a book and done a CD on the life and forgotten hymns of John Newton. I encourage all to check it out.

One of the hymns is below. May it bless you (even though you need to work through some of the old English).

Sav’d by blood, I live to tell
What the love of Christ hath done;
He redeem’d my soul from hell,
Of a rebel made a son;
Oh, I tremble still, to think
How secure I liv’d in sin;
Sporting on destruction’s brink,
Yet preserv’d from falling in.

In his own appointed hour,
To my heart the Saviour spoke:
Touch’d me by his Spirits’ pow’r,
And my dang’rous slumber broke.
Then I saw and own’d my guilt:
Soon my gracious Lord reply’d,
“Fear not, I my blood have spilt,
‘Twas for such as thee I dy’d.”

Shame and wonder, joy and love,
All at once possess’d my heart;
Can I hope thy grace to prove
After acting such a part?
“Thou hast greatly sinn’d,” he said,
But I freely all forgive;
I myself thy debt have paid,
Now I bid thee rise and live,”

Come, my fellow-sinner try;
Jesus’ heart is full of love!
Oh, that you, as well as I,
May his wondrous mercy prove!
He has sent me to declare,
All is ready, all is free:
Why should any soul despair,
When he sav’d a wretch like me?