Fear and Trembling

I was asked to sing a solo at our church last night. I choose to sing a hymn that written by a man named William Cowper. Cowper was born in 1731. He was a contemporary of John Wesley, George Whitefield, William Wilberforce, and others. He struggled with depression for most of his life. After a major depression at age 21, he attempted suicide several times. At age 28, he had another breakdown caused mainly by the threat of a public examination before Parliament. They were to see if he could be appointed to a government position. He was committed to an insane asylum after more failed suicide attempts. He became a Christian during his stay in the asylum when he picked up a Bible placed there and read Romans 3:25, where Christ’s sacrifice for us is highlighted. Cowper later wrote, “I saw the sufficiency of the atonement [Christ] had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel…” Over the nex...