Lord, Thou hast won, at length I yield

1
Lord, Thou hast won, at length I yield;
My heart by mighty grace compelled
  Surrenders all to Thee;
Against Thy terrors long I strove,
But who can stand against Thy love?
  Love conquers even me.
2
If Thou hadst bid Thy thunders roll,
And light’nings flash, to blast my soul,
  I still had stubborn been;
But mercy has my heart subdued,
A bleeding Savior I have viewed,
  And now I hate my sin.
3
Now, Lord, I would be Thine alone,
Come, take possession of Thine own,
  For Thou hast set me free;
Released from Satan’s hard command,
See all my powers waiting stand,
  To be employed by Thee.
3
Jlin

McKinney, TX, United States

Lord, Thou hast won, at length I yield;

My heart by mighty grace compelled

Surrenders all to Thee;


Steve Miller

Detroit, MI, United States

John Newton, the former slave trader whose life was touched by God's amazing grace, became a loving pastor. He loved his congregation, and they loved him. He was not a great preacher, but that did not matter. He had special services for children and special services for senior citizens, teaching the Bible faithfully and singing songs that he had just written.

One writer said, "Newton was more remarkable for his goodness than for his greatness." Newton would have loved that assessment. - Great Songs of Faith by Brown & Norton


Nancy V Kaplan

Evanston, IL, United States

I like this very much. I read a biography about John Newton. This is like his life story. it is also the life story of many of us; terrified of a God who loves us. And then softened, broken by who HE really is.

Verse three says So Much in so few words. Released from Satan's hard command.

I was looking for a hymn on constrained by love. I needed a love song. Many times a sister has tried to teach me this, one of her favorites. but I am almost music illiterate. I love this way of learning.

Maybe someday you can also add an option for learning the harmony as an alternate to the basic tune? or even all 4 parts together for the full affect of thunder rolling.

Thank You.

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.

Piano Hymns