Brothers and sisters,
While reading a short biography of John Newton the other night I learned some little known facts about his famous hymn Amazing Grace:
- Newton originally titled it Faith’s Review and Expectation
- It was based on 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, which records David’s wonder at God’s favor toward him
- Newton wrote the hymn to go along with his sermon on New Year’s Day, 1773
- The last verse which we all know so well – “When we’ve been there 10,000 years…” – was not originally part of the hymn. It was added in the nineteenth century.
- The original ending verse goes like this: “The earth shall soon dissolve like snow/The sun forebear to shine/But God, who call’d me here below/Will be forever mine.”
Blessings in Christ,
David
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