Bestow, Dear Lord, Upon our Youth by John Newton
The work is a devotional appeal for divine intervention in the lives of youth, urging that the gift of grace and truth be sown early in life. It employs agricultural metaphors to liken grace to a seed and a plant, emphasizing that even the tender heart of youth, when nurtured by the sacred truth, can yield the sweetest fruit. The text admonishes the careless and sinful nature of young people while stressing that the mercy of God is greater than their transgressions. It warns that the moral decay present in youth might persist if not corrected, likening it to a stone within the breast that disrupts peaceful conscience. A public prayer is evoked, inviting both communal and individual contrition. The work calls for an urgent, heartfelt response from the young, compelling them to acknowledge their wrongs and seek spiritual renewal. The imagery of sacred tears and the power of the Spirit highlights an expectation that even the young are capable of genuine repentance and transformation through love for the divine. Overall, the text is structured as a meditative exhortation where divine love and mercy are central themes. It stresses that no one is too young to embrace the teachings of Jesus, and that a nurturing encounter with grace during youth can set the foundation for a righteous life. The work balances a recognition of youthful failings with optimism about the redemptive power of early religious instruction and the inherent potential for spiritual growth if granted the proper divine bounties.
By John Newton · First published 1779 · Genre: Christian Hymn, Religious Poetry, Devotional Literature · 233 words
First lines
I: Bestow, dear Lord, upon our youth / The gift of saving grace; / And let the seed of sacred truth / Fall in a fruitful place.
II: Grace is a plant, where'er it grows, / Of pure and heav'nly root; / But fairest in the youngest shows, / And yields the sweetest fruit.
III: Ye careless ones, hear betimes / The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is stain'd with many crimes, / But mercy reigns above.
Genres
- Christian Hymn — The work is a prayerful invocation addressing divine grace, typical of a Christian hymn.
- Religious Poetry — It employs poetic structure and language to communicate spiritual themes.
- Devotional Literature — The text serves as guidance and encouragement for faith, fitting devotional literature.
- Inspirational Literature — Its message aims to inspire moral and spiritual improvement in youth.
Tags
spirituality · prayer · youth ministry · devotion · guidance · religious · inspiration · meditation · Christian · morality · sacred · reflection
What this Textopian page supports
Bestow, Dear Lord, Upon our Youth is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Newton, dated 1779 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: John Newton
- Date: 1779 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Christian Hymn, Religious Poetry, Devotional Literature, Inspirational Literature, Poetry
- Length: 233 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Bestow, Dear Lord, Upon our Youth by John Newton
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph