274. Glorious things of thee are spoken
John Newton, 1725-1807
Based on Psalm 87:3: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God,” and other passages, especially Isaiah 33:20, 21, and Exodus 13:22.
It is one of our best hymns on the Church and, says Julian, “It ranks with the first hymns in the language.” In ordinary use the omission of the third stanza is desirable. Augustine Smith suggests in Lyric Religion that “the last score should always be repeated, the second time sung broader and fuller, building into a superb climax.”
John Newton is remembered among the hymn writers because of the radical change that took place in his life at conversion. Born in London, his only schooling was from his eighth to his tenth year. He went to sea at eleven, his godly mother following the profligate youth with her prayers. As a midshipman in the navy he deserted his post, was captured, and reduced to a common seaman, and later became a servant of a slave dealer in Africa. He was converted at 23 after an awful night steering a water-logged ship in the face of death. Though converted, he retained certain blind spots in his social outlook and he continued as a slave dealer. This hymn was written when he was on a voyage from Sierra Leone, Africa, with a load of slaves shackled closely together and being taken to London or America to be sold. “I have never had such sweet communion with Jesus as I had on that voyage,” he wrote. This may seem like hypocrisy, but it must be remembered that slavery was a common practice and that only a few people of the time understood clearly its complete denial of the spirit of Christ. It may be that future generations will see in our times evils that flourished unchallenged while we prayed and sang according to the light we had. In 1750, Newton married Mary Catlett, a noble and pious woman, and a godsend in his life. In 1755, he settled down as customs officer in Liverpool, becoming at the same time greatly interested in Wesley and Whitefield and other evangelical leaders. Three years later he became a minister in the Church of England, and in 1764, he began a distinguished career as curate at Olney, where he was associated with his friend, William Cowper, the poet. The two were joint authors of the Olney Hymns, 1779. After sixteen years in Olney, he moved to London where for 28 years he did faithful and successful work as rector of St. Mary Woolnoth. He wrote his own epitaph which is found on a plain marble tablet near the vestry door of his church in London:
John Newton, Clerk
Once an Infidel and Libertine,
A servant of slaves in Africa,
Was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ
Preserved, restored, and pardoned,
And appointed to preach the Faith
He had long labored to destroy,
Near 16 years at Olney in Bucks
And ... years in this church
On Feb. 1, 1750, he married
Mary,
Daughter of the late George Catlett
Of Catham, Kent.
He resigned her to the Lord who gave her
On 15th of December, 1790
MUSIC. AUSTRIAN HYMN is founded on a Croatian melody. It was used in Germany as the tune of “Deutschland über alles.” Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809, made a setting of it to be sung at the Emperor’s birthday, Feb. 12, 1797, to the words, “Gott erhalte Franz der Kaiser.” The tune was a great favorite of Haydn and he used it as a theme in one of the movements in his famous “Emperor Quartet,” [No. 76].
For comments on Franz Joseph Haydn, see [Hymn 27].
275. I love Thy Kingdom, Lord
Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817