Father, Forgive, the Savior Said

by John Newton

Father forgive them by John Newton

“Father, forgive,” the Savior said

“They know not what they do”;

His heart was moved when thus He prayed

For me, my friends, and you.

He saw, that as the Jews abused

And crucified His flesh,

So He, by us, would be refused,

And crucified afresh.

Through love of sin, we long were prone

To act as Satan bid;

But now, with grief and shame we own,

We knew not what we did.

We knew not the desert of sin,

Nor Whom we thus defied;

Nor where our guilty souls had been,

If Jesus had not died.

We knew not what a law we broke,

How holy, just and pure!

Nor what a God we durst provoke,

But thought ourselves secure.

But Jesus all our guilt foresaw,

And shed His precious blood

To satisfy the holy law,

And make our peace with God.

My sin, dear Savior, made Thee bleed,

Yet didst Thou pray for me!

I knew not what I did, indeed,

When ignorant of Thee.