HYMNS YOU LOVE--------------------------------------- By Phil Kerr Amazing Grace Words by John Newton. Source of music unknown.
A P ra ctica l E xp osition oi Second P e te r By J. Nieboer Many have come to know the author, editor of Our Daily Walk, through his A Practical Exposition of First Peter and A Practical Exposi tion of James, both reviewed in these columns some months since. The ma terial is eminently practical and usable by all who work with the Scripture text—pastors, teachers, mis sionaries, and Sunday school teachers. Critical problems and their solu tions will not be found in these pages, but they abound in illustra tion, exhortation, and application. These three volumes on New Testa ment books usually neglected will prove a treasury of good things. 276 pages; cloth; Our Daily Walk Pub lishers, Erie, Pa.; $3.20. Book Brevities GEMS FOR THE SAVIOR'S CROWN by Anno M. Van Hook. 48 pages; paper; The Central American Mission, Dallas, Texas. A dozen true stories of trophies of grace in Central America. SAM AT DUSKY HOLLOW by Henrietta Van Laar. 57 pages; boards; Moody Press, Chicago. III., 85c. Another in Moody Press's series of Christian stories for children — appealing and dynamic. TWO VITAL QUESTIONS, WHY PRAY? AND AFTER DEATH — WHAT? by W illiam Posted W itsell. 172 pages; cloth; The Christopher Pub lishing House, Boston, Mass., $2.50. Defends man's opportunity to secure salvation after death — the ''eternal hope." Not recom mended. THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE by E. E. Franke. 48 pages; paper; People's Christian Bulletin, New York, N. Y . Good material in defense of the Bible record, but somewhat outdated in its quotations. CHURCH AFLAME by Paul B. Smith. 127 pages; cloth; Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Edin burgh; $1.00 from The People's Press, Toronto, Canada. Sermons on evangelism by the son of Oswald Smith. THE MAN OF SORROWS by Marcus L. Loane. 127 pages; cloth; Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Edinburgh; 7s, 6d. Thought-provoking studies in the passion of Christ. TWENTIETH CENTURY CRUSADE by Mel Larson. 57 pages; paper; Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, M ich.; 50c. A popular account of the origin and early history of the Youth for Christ movement. SHOULD PROTESTANTS AND ROMAN CATH OLICS INTERMARRY? by John A . Carrara. 32 pages; paper; Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, M ich.; 25c. Full information on the implications of intermarriage by Protestants and Catholics. PATTERN FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING by Fred Pierce Corson. 148 pages; cloth; John C. Win ston Company, Philadelphia, Pa.; $2.50. An other book on the integrated life— not written from the conservative point of view. DISTINCTIONS OF TRUTH WHICH DIFFER by W. S. Hottel. 101 pages; paper; Union Gos pel Press, Cleveland, Ohio. Valuable treatises in outline form of dispensational and doctrinal distinctions. THE NAMES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTA MENT bv W . S. Hottel. 92 pages; paper; Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, Ohio. Discussions of the use of some of the most frequently used names of deity in the Old Testament. RADIO PALS ON BAR T RANCH by Charles Ludwig. 82 pages; boards; Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, III.; $1.00. A Christian western story of the "Radio Pals." NOTHING PLUS GOD AND SUSIE by J . C. Brumfield. 96 pages; boards; Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, III.; $1.00. Fourteen "Susie" adven tures from dramatizations on the "Radio Kids Bible Club." TINY WORDS ABOUT THE BEGINNING by Ruth L. McNaughton. 24 pages; boards; Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, III. True-to-the-Word story in simple language of creation and the fall of man— beautifully illustrated. PATHOS AND PROVIDENCE 80 pages; paper; Northern Gospel Mission, Virginia, Minn: 25c. Thrilling account of pioneer missions in Chili and Patagor>ia.
ing the years of his wanderings. He came under the religious in fluence of Whitefield, and of the Wesley brothers; deepening spirit ual experiences caused him to de cide to enter the ministry. He took up theological study, and at the age of 39 became the curate (pas tor) at Olney, a position he held for fifteen years. While living in Olney he dis covered his ability to write poetry; during those fifteen years he pro duced more than 300 hymns. De veloping a firm friendship with William Cowper (author of “ There is a Fountain Filled with Blood” ), the two of them published Olney Hymns in 1779, containing 280 of Newton’s poems and 68 of Cow- per’s. Newton rented a large empty house in Olney, called the Great House, and c on d u c te d w e ek ly prayer-meetings therein. It was his custom to write a new hymn each week, and expound it at these Great House meetings. In the same year that Olney Hymns was published, Newton be came rector of a London church, and remained there until his death 28 years later. He was actively “ in the harness” up until the day of his death. At the age of 80, when he was advised to retire, he indignantly replied, “What! Shall the old African blasphemer stop while he still can speak?” He died December 21, 1807« at the age of eighty-two. The follow ing self - composed epitaph was placed on his grave: “ John New ton clerk, once an infidel and lib ertine, a servant of slaves in Af rica, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pre served, restored, pardoned and ap pointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy . . .” Strange to say, “ Amazing Grace” is to be found in very few modem hymnals in England, although it is widely used in America. The origin of the tune is not definitely known. Some hymnographers be lieve it to be a variant of an old American plantation tune titled “ Loving Lamb” which was widely known in the early part of the nineteenth century.
nder the title “ Faith’s Review and Expectation,” the words of this song were first published in Olney Hymns, in 1779. They were written by John Newton, based on First Chronicles 17:16, 17. Newton was bom in London, July 24, 1725, the son of a sea cap tain. His mother, a devout Chris tian woman, died when he was seven years of age. A few years later he went to sea with his father. While ashore between voy ages, he was shanghaied aboard a man-of-war and cruelly abused. Attempting to escape he was lab eled as a deserter and unmerci fully flogged and degraded. After many terrible experiences he joined the crew of a slave-trader, and within a few years was him self the captain of a slave-ship. During one of his visits to Lon don, at the age of 17, he had fallen in love with a 14-year-old girl, Mary Catlett. During the years of his seafaring experiences, she kept praying earnestly for his protection and for his conversion. His father also, having retired from the sea and settled in London, was in con stant prayer for John’s conversion. Having trouble with a mutinous crew, Newton was put ashore on a lonely island off the coast of Af rica. His father, back in England, had asked a captain-friend to search for John and to ask him to return to London. One day, on this lonely island, John signaled a passing vessel. It proved to be the very ship captained by his father’s friend! He returned to London for a time, but again en tered the slave-trading business. One night in 1748 during a ter rible storm at sea, John asked God for forgiveness and became con verted. Although he continued in the slave-running for six years af ter his conversion, he did not feel that it was wrong, and remained a Christian. “I never knew sweet er or more frequent hours of di vine communion than in my last two slave-voyages to Guinea,” he wrote. Illness caused him to forsake the sea, and he finally settled in Lon don, marrying Mary Catlett, the girl who had prayed for him dur
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