Lord, Thou hast won, at length I yield

This is a hymn of repentance by John Newton. Although some people have used it as a gospel song, it remains a very useful hymn in the congregation of believers.

Newton was born in 1725 in London, England. His father was a seafaring man and was away from home most of the time. The responsibility of raising the children fell on the shoulders of his devout and loving mother. She always led John by the hand to kneel before God to pray and to consecrate himself to the Lord. She also taught him to read the Bible and to memorize the hymns. At the age of seven, his mother passed away from exhaustion and sickness. Such a blow drove the young man into waywardness. At the age of ten he followed his father and took to the sea. He spent over twenty years as a wandering prodigal. At an early age he adopted a sailor's life of debauchery, drunkenness, and gambling. He heard the gospel many times. Every time he heard it he remembered the face and teaching of his loving mother, and he was pricked in his heart. But he was never able to pull himself out of the sea of iniquity. Later, he went to Africa and engaged in the slave trade. A brawl broke out and resulted in his being sold as a slave instead. He was tormented and harassed. The sufferings in mind and body drove him to become a runaway, but the result was more whipping and imprisonment. A few years later, his father found him and paid a ransom for his release.

While on a ship on his way back home, he encountered a sudden storm. At that instant, the Lord answered his mother's prayer when she offered him to the Lord as a youth. The battering of the fierce storm warmed his cold heart. The tossing of the waves awakened his slumbering spirit. He recalled the sins and evil he had committed. The stories he heard from his loving mother in his youth about a loving Savior who is God's Beloved flashed back, including stories of the One who had shed His blood and died for him. What grace this was! He could not help but call on the Lord's name aloud. He prayed to God, repented for his sins, believed in the Lord, and accepted Jesus as His Savior. Soon after, he consecrated himself to God and served Him faithfully until he died.

He wrote many songs. From the many he wrote, we have selected this hymn of repentance. It is one of the best hymns on repentance. Hell and God's punishment may be fearful to others, but they are not fearful to the writer of the song. Even though God can do so much to such a one, He does not threaten men with punishment but compels men to repentance with grace and love. Many people have entered the gate through believing. But Newton did more; he entered the gate through obedience. Paul's repentance was accompanied by humiliation and obedience. The same can be said of Newton. We sing this hymn now whenever someone has some hesitation in consecration.