In a small
cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, is a granite
marker with the following inscription: "John Newton,
clerk, once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in
Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the
Faith he had long labored to destroy." This inscription
was written by Newton himself prior to his death and accurately
describes his colorful and unusual life. Through God's grace, this
man was transformed from one living a life of rebellion and
debauchery into one of the great evangelical preachers of the
eighteenth century.
Newton's
mother died when he was
not quite seven years of age. At age 11, with only two years
schooling and only a rudimentary knowledge of Latin, John went to
sea with his father. His life at sea was filled with
wonderful escapes, vivid dreams, and a sailor’s recklessness. He
grew into a godless and abandoned man. After serving on
several ships and working for a period of time along the African
coast collecting slaves for sale to visiting slave traders, he
eventually became the captain of his own slave ship.
On March 10, 1748, while returning to England
from Africa, Newton's ship encountered a violent storm and it
appeared that all would be lost. Newton began reading Thomas
a Kempis's book, "Imitation of Christ." The
message of the book and the frightening experience at sea were
used by the Holy Spirit to plant the seeds that would eventually
lead to Newton's eventual acceptance of Jesus Christ as his
personal Savior. After surviving this experience, he
continued for several years as a slave ship captain, but
eventually felt convicted of the inhuman aspects of this work and
became a strong and effective crusader against slavery. He
returned to England and on February 12, 1750, he married
Mary Catlett and served as a clerk at the Port of Liverpool for
nine years. During this period, he felt the call of God to
preach the gospel and began to study for the ministry. At
the age of thirty-nine, he was ordained by the Anglican Church and
began a very fruitful ministry.
Until his death at the age of eighty-two, John
Newton never ceased to marvel at God's mercy and grace that had so
dramatically changed his life. On one occasion before his
death, he is quoted as saying, "My memory is nearly gone, but
I remember two things: 'That I am a great sinner and that Christ
is a great Savior!'"
