John Newton is buried in Olney, England. On his original gravestone was this inscription:
JOHN NEWTON, Clerk
Once an infidel and libertine
A servant of slaves in Africa,
Was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour
JESUS CHRIST,
restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach
the Gospel which he had long laboured to destroy.
He ministered,
Near sixteen years in Olney, in Bucks,
And twenty-eight years in this Church.
At age 11, with but two years schooling and only a rudimentary knowledge of Latin, he went to sea with his father. Life at sea was filled with wonderful escapes, vivid dreams, and a sailor’s recklessness. He grew into a godless and abandoned man. He was once flogged as a deserter from the navy, and for 15 months lived, half starved and ill treated, as a slave in Africa.
A chance reading of Thomas à Kempis sowed the seed of his conversion. It was accelerated by a night spent steering a waterlogged ship in the face of apparent death. He was then 23 years old. Over the next six years, during which he commanded a slave ship, his faith matured. He spent the next nine years mostly in Liverpool, studying Hebrew and Greek and mingling with Whitefield, Wesley, and the Nonconformists. He was eventually ordained, and became curate at Olney, Buckinghamshire, in 1764. (
CyberHymnal: John Newton)
Pastor Mark at
Grace Dependent provides the full text of the poem from which comes the hymn
"Amazing Grace":
In evil long I took delight,
unawed by shame or fear;
Till a new object met my sight,
and stopped my wild career: I saw One hanging on a tree
in agonies and blood;
Who fixed His languid eyes on me
as near His cross I stood. Sure, never till my latest breath
can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
though not a word He spoke. My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
and plunged me in despair;
I saw my sins His blood had shed,
and helped to nail Him there. Alas, I knew not what I did,
but all my tears were vain;
Where could my trembling soul be hid,
for I, the Lord, had slain! A second look He gave that said,
“I freely all forgive!”
“This blood is for thy ransom paid,
I died that thou mayest live!” | Amazing grace,
how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed! Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures. Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess within the veil,
a life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
But God Who called me here below
shall be forever mine |
Amazing Grace « Grace Dependent, John Newton, Amazing Grace
Thank you for mentioning my blog in your post. May the grace of our God be a constant theme in our daily lives!
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