Authored by John Newton, this hymn commemorates the martyrdom of St. Stephen and was first published in the landmark collection Olney Hymns (1779, Book I, No. 120) in six stanzas of four lines. Titled "The Death of Stephen," the hymn utilizes the vivid imagery of a steadfast rock standing firm against crashing ocean waves to illustrate the Christian martyr's unwavering faith in the face of violent persecution. The text was reprinted without alteration across subsequent editions of the Olney Hymns and entered common congregational use as early as 1810 when it was included in Thomas Cotterill's Selection of Psalms and Hymns. Although it maintained a place in early nineteenth-century evangelical collections, the hymn gradually fell out of favor and is rarely encountered in modern hymnals.
Related Hymns
Hymns in the library connected to this dictionary topic.
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Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
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How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
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Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken
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I Saw One Hanging on a Tree
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Safely Through Another Week
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Day of Judgment, Day of Wonders!
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I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow
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Zacchaeus Climbed the Tree
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