Thursday, March 10, 2011

Whatever Happened to Amazing Grace?


For a number of years, John Newton pastored the Anglican church in Olney, a lace-making town about 50 miles northwest of London. His parishioners were mostly uneducated men and women. He made a practice of writing poems, including one titled "Amazing Grace," to help them remember the point of his sermons. His poems were published in 1779 as Olney Hymns.

In many non-Anglican, independent churches, parishioners sang the hymns of Isaac Watts (1674-1748). Watts's hymns were also sung in Baptist churches, such as the one in London pastored by John Rippon (1751-1836). Rippon, apparently quite the entrepreneur, wished to expand hymn-singing options and bound many of Newton's poems with Watts's hymns, titling the volume A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns (1787). His collection found much acclaim, with more than 200,000 copies in circulation.

But A Selection of Hymns did not include "Amazing Grace." Was this because it does not mention Jesus or God but only "grace"? (The familiar concluding verse—"When we've been there ten thousand years," which includes the word God—was a later add-on.) Did Rippon think the language plebeian? Out of four verses of Newton's original (verses five and six were seldom printed), only 11 words are more than one syllable. The late-19th-century hymnologist John Julian, while noting that 61 of Newton's hymns were in current circulation, justified the omission of "Amazing Grace," saying it was "far from being a good example of Newton's work." In any case, "Amazing Grace" went missing from English hymnbooks from the early 1800s, and did not appear in England, with the familiar "New Britain" tune, until 1964.

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2 comments:

Joe Mahler said...

The song "Amazing Grace" by John Newton wedded to the tune "New Britain" is probably one of the best loved song in Christiandom and beyond. It evokes an emotional response and even a great gratitude for God's gift. However, I do not believe many actually contemplate the words and exactly what they mean. If they did their theology would certainly change and they would have a much better understanding of what exactly God has done for them. Their pride would melt and their thankfulness would be beyond their ability to even express. The modern must come to see how amazing Grace truly is.

Joe Mahler said...

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.

’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!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

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.

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.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)