What Did You See?

A Reflection on Newton’s “Amazing Grace”

What Did You See?

“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.”

Oh Christian man what did you see,
That makes you so rejoice?
To so transcend this troubled sea
Of grief and broken toys?

I saw a sceptre drawing near
That pledged eternal wrath;
And I, alas, in deep arrears
Before it’s awful path.

Of every coin within my purse,
Not one could ransom pay;
Where damned to hell, exposed and cursed,
I silent helpless lay.

Inexorable Almighty King,
Who could placate His wrath?
Who would the cause of felons bring
Before His strident path?

Then suddenly like lightning strike
From heaven t’hell below,
Dread justice struck, while sinners fright
Shook sore to take the blow.

But devils quaked, God’s saints looked stunned,
While Angels horror shone;
The bolt had landed on God’s Son,
Who died with shuddered groan.

The Angels once that hid their eyes
At holiness so bright,
Now see the stains of sin applied
To spotless robes of white.

At their tribunal, in their place
Whose crimes now vengeance plead
Stands Christ their substitute to face
The judgment on their deeds.

To far remove their guilt and shame
In peace bring in His view
Both sons and daughters without stain
To God by grace renewed.

What mystery had here transpired,
Before their wond’ring eyes?
Where justice standing satisfied   
Acquittal boldly cried?

The guilty, pardoned, wholly saved,
Declared absolved and freed;
The substitute divine, now raised,
 His blood in power to plead.

The wrath that fleet had sped to me,
My sentence to require,
Had smote that One upon the  tree,
Who in my stead expired.

And as I wondered at this grace,
He raised up from my tomb,
And having taken there my place,
He put me in His room.

Here satisfaction to the claims
Of justice fully paid,
Made favor like a warming flame
Bid all my horror’s fade.

But this was He, the very One
Who’s sentence terror spoke;
But now Himself the shinning sun
Of all redeeming hope.

His messenger, unseen, but heard
With light now healed my eyes;
Unstopped my ears with heavens words,
With joy called forth a cry.

That voice! A voice so strangely fleet,
It ran straight through the heart;
As the new owner cleans and heats,
And hangs up all his art!

I’d heard it’s message long before,
But now it lived and breathed;
A hope that trouble couldn’t ford,
Nor sin daunt its relief.

My sense of worship long had groped,
But touched now from above,
The dam of blindness sweetly broke
In floods of grateful love.

He gave to me a treasure full,
A book He said would keep
My fickle wayward manner dull,
In which his voice would speak.

He said He’s coming quickly for
All those redeemed as I;
The hardened ones put out His door
Where I deserved to die.

You ask, my friend, what did I see ,
I saw and see it still:
Hope like a King enthroned in me,
There reigning at His will.

Where my  Almighty Father reached
And held a hopeless wretch,
To love with grateful worship freed
An heir of His largesse.

Redeemer, Oh sincerely dear!
What can I give to thee?
But grateful sighs returning here
Where Jesus rescued me.

Charles Church
2/17/22 9:00 pm