Newton and Crosby: unusual lives inspire creative hymns



 

 

Two great hymn writers illustrate how God can use the most unlikely people in his service.

John Newton (1725-1807) was speaking of himself when he wrote, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Newton worked at sea on British merchant ships. He was arrogant, insubordinate, a smoker, profane, lustful and a blasphemer. He once wrote, “I sinned with a high hand.”

He served on ships that carried slaves from Africa to the colonies and England. For a time he worked for a slave dealer in West Africa. Newton was a ruthless businessman and unconcerned for his human cargo.

 

 

Aboard one ship, Newton read “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis, as it was the only reading material available. A storm raged for days. Certain that the ship would sink, Newton felt he’d sinned too much for God’s forgiveness.

The storm abated and Newton returned to his old ways until a year later when he was sick with fever. He knelt and turned his life over to God.

He left his sea life in 1755, quit the slave trade and was ordained an Anglican priest.

At his church in Olney, England, Newton, along with poet William Cowper, wrote hymns each week for the parish prayer service. The priest put 280 of his songs, such as “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” and 68 of Cowper’s into a book called “Olney Hymns.”

Newton also wrote the booklet “Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade” and helped William Wilberforce, a politician, in his campaign to end the British slave market.

Here in America, Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) wrote in the song “Blessed Assurance,” “Perfect submission, perfect delight. Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.”

Crosby was blind.

She fell sick at 2 months old. The family doctor was unavailable, so a traveling quack came and placed a hot mustard poultice on her eyes. The treatment burned her corneas and left her blind.

Crosby’s father died shortly after. Her mother worked as a maid, leaving most of the childrearing to the baby’s grandmother Eunice, who read the Bible to young Fanny.

Crosby began writing poetry at age 8, starting with this upbeat declaration: “O what a happy soul I am! Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world, Contented I will be.”

The poet never viewed her handicap as a hardship. Crosby said, “I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”

Crosby’s mother sent her 15-year-old daughter to the newly opened New York Institute for the Blind, where she stayed 12 years as a student and 11 years as a teacher. Besides writing poetry, she sang and played several instruments.

Publisher William Bradbury was looking for good hymns to release. Most church music at the time was staid, dreary and preached sin and judgment. Crosby’s songs were uplifting, joyous, easy to sing and proclaimed God’s love.

Bradbury put Crosby under contract to write three hymns a week indefinitely. She was paid only a dollar or two per song— no royalties—but Crosby was more interested in spreading hope than in financial gain.

Evangelist Dwight Moody used Crosby’s hymns in his crusades, which spread her influence even further.

She wrote over 9,000 songs, including “To God Be the Glory,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” “Rescue the Perishing,” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.”

Readers can submit their favorite hymn or carol, the reasons they love them, along with their name and hometown, to the email address below. As space permits, we’ll share your replies in a future column.

Sally Carpenter, M.Div., is a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Moorpark. Reach her at sallyc@theacorn.com.