# “I am weaker than a bruised reed” by John Newton

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2026/03/05/i-am-weaker-than-a-bruised-reed-by-john-newton/
- Published: 2026-03-05T07:30:00-06:00
- Author: tollelege

“We may love, and we ought to love, our husbands, wives, children, parents, and 
friends; and, if we consider them as the Lord’s gifts, —if we seek his blessing 
in them and upon them, —if we hold them at his disposal, —if we employ all our influence
with them, to engage them to seek and love him supremely, —if, when they are removed
from us, we are disposed to yield a cheerful submission to his holy will, —and if,
when things are brought into competition, we rather choose to venture displeasing
our dearest friends, than to sin against the Lord, —with these restrictions we cannot
easily love them too much.

But who can come up to this standard? I suppose no person can completely. But we
may aim at it; we may lament our deficiency: we may pray for more grace; and by 
grace we may approximate more and more to it.

It is not necesary to distress ourselves with what may happen; as, how should I 
behave, if the Lord were to take the desire of my eyes from me suddenly? We are 
to live today and to leave tomorrow with him.

If we presume that we could support such a stroke, we should probably find it too
heavy for us. But this we may say:

The Lord is all-sufficient, and He is faithful. He has promised strength according
to the day. He permits me to call upon Him in the time of trouble; and I trust, 
when the time of trouble shall come, He will enable me to pray for that help from
Him, without which I know I must sink; for in myself I am weaker than a bruised 
reed.

In the mean time I endeavour to cast all my care upon him who careth for me.

For the rest, we are in the Lord’s school, —the school of the cross. His daily providential
dispensations arc suited to wean our attachment from every thing here, and to convince
us that this cannot be our rest, —it is polluted.

Our roses grow on thorns, our honey wears a sting. Frequently our sharpest trials
spring from our choicest comforts. Perhaps, while we are admiring our gourd, a worm
is secretly preying upon its root.

As every bitter thing is sweetened to a believer, so there is some bitter thing 
mingled with the sweet. This is wisely and mercifully ordered. It is necessary.

And if things were not so bad with us, as in the language of sense they sometimes
are, they would probably be soon much worse. With such hearts as we have, and in
such a world as we live in, much discipline is needful to keep us from sleeping 
upon the enchanted ground.

But the time is short. It will not be thus always. We hope soon to be out of the
reach of sin and temptation.

Happy hour, when sorrow and mourning, hitherto our inseparable companions, shall
flee away, to return no more! When joy and gladness shall come forth to meet us,
and conduct us home!

Then those who have loved each other in the Lord upon earth, shall rejoice together
before Him, shall drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand, and
their happiness shall be unspeakable, uninterrupted, without abatement, and without
end.”

–John Newton, **[_The Works of John Newton_](https://heritagebooks.org/products/the-works-of-john-newton-4-vols.html),
[_Volume 6_](https://heritagebooks.org/products/the-works-of-john-newton-4-vols.html)**(
Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1820/1988), 6: 487-489.

[⌊The Works of John Newton⌉⌊The Works of John Newton⌉[

More quotes from [John Newton](https://tollelege.net/category/john-newton/) · More
on [grace](https://tollelege.net/category/grace/)