Scripture Verse

Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14

Introduction

portrait
John Newton (1725–1807)

Words: John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­iv­er, 1779), Book 3, num­ber 77. Are there few that shall be saved?

Music: Strait Gate Har­mon­ia Sac­ra, 19th Cen­tu­ry (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Destruction’s dan­ger­ous road
What mul­ti­tudes pur­sue!
While that which leads the soul to God,
Is known or sought by few.

Believers en­ter in
By Christ, the liv­ing gate;
But they who will not leave their sin,
Complain it is too strait.

If self must be de­nied,
And sin for­sak­en quite;
They ra­ther choose the way that’s wide,
And strive to think it right.

Encompassed by a throng,
On num­bers they de­pend;
So many sure­ly can’t be wrong,
And miss a hap­py end.

But num­bers are no mark
That men will right be found;
A few were saved in No­ah’s ark,
For ma­ny mill­ions drowned.

Obey the Gos­pel call,
And en­ter while you may;
The flock of Christ is al­ways small,
And none are safe but they.

Lord, op­en sin­ners’ eyes
Their aw­ful state to see
And make them, ere the storm arise,
To Thee for safe­ty flee.