I have a friend in ministry who does not like ‘Amazing Grace’.
There’s noting wrong with him, he just thinks that the song has been done to death.
This morning we sang it at mgpc but we used the original lyrics.
1.
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.
2.
’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!
3.
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4.
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.
5.
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.
6.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
This is the hymn as it appeared in the hymnbook compiled by John Newton for the use of his parish church, styled ‘The Olney Hymnal’. The hymns were written by Newton and William Cowper, himself a fascinating individual, among others.
The hymn was titled ‘Faith’s Review and Expectation’ and is based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. I have a copy reprinted in the six volume Works of John Newton, Banner of Truth Edition.
After worship one of our men asked my what I had done with verse six. He, like many, (myself included) were used to singing:
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.
While much better known, the verse is not in any way original, or even written by Newton. Notice how the personal pronoun is consistently first person singular (I, me) in the version above while the inserted verse uses the first person plural (we).
Taken from another hymn altogether the came to be popularly associated with Amazing Grace by John Rees in the nineteenth century, as an extra verse and then replacing the original sixth verse.
It just amuses me, particularly with questions about new songs, old songs and changed songs. Apparently if a changed song has been around long enough, it becomes an old song. Go figure.
Which is preferable? I don’t know. Maybe we should use both. Maybe we’ll alternate. Maybe my friend had a point.
youtube? How can you go past the king (Elvis) singing about the King of Kings. Elvis solves the problem above by leaving most of the verses out. Very elegant.
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