Analysis of The Believer's Danger, Safety, And Duty

John Newton 1725 (Wapping, London) – 1807 (London)



Simon, beware! the Saviour said,
Satan, your subtle foe,
Already has his measures laid
Your soul to overthrow.

He wants to sift you all, as wheat,
And thinks his vict'ry sure;
But I his malice will defeat,
My prayer shall faith secure.

Believers, tremble and rejoice,
Your help and danger view;
This warning has to you a voice,
This promise speaks to you.

Satan beholds, with jealous eye,
Your privilege and joy;
He's always watchful, always nigh,
To tear and to destroy.

But Jesus lives to intercede,
That faith may still prevail,
He will support in time of need,
And Satan's arts shall fail.

Yet, let us not the warning slight,
But watchful still be found;
Though faith cannot be slain in fight,
It may receive a wound.

While Satan watches, dare we sleep?
We must our guard maintain;
But, Lord, do thou the city keep,
Or else we watch in vain.


Scheme XAXA BCBC DEDE FGFG HIHI JKJK LMLM
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 1001011 101101 01011101 11110 11111111 01111 11110101 111101 01010001 110101 11011101 110111 1011101 11001 111011 110101 1101101 111101 11010111 01111 11110101 110111 11101101 110101 11010111 1110101 11110101 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 832
Words 154
Sentences 10
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 93
Words per stanza (avg) 22
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 31, 2023

47 sec read
74

John Newton

Rev Dr John A Newton CBE is a prominent Methodist minister, author, historian and former President of the Methodist Conference. more…

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