In the late 18th century, there was a highly respected pastor in England named John Newton. He was skilled in writing hymns, the most famous of which is Amazing Grace. For over 200 years, this hymn has been sung around the world. Most importantly, it played a significant role in the abolition of slavery in Britain.
John Newton lived during a time when slavery was rampant, and the slave trade was a lucrative business. In the final days of his life, John Newton completed a memoir that he submitted to the British Parliament. This memoir served as a truthful testimony to the atrocities of slavery and, with the efforts of conscientious politicians, contributed to the abolition of the British slave system.
Early life and loss
John Newton’s mother was a devout Christian who read scriptures to young John daily, hoping to instill the Bible in his young mind. However, she passed away when Newton was just seven, leaving God’s words as mere recitations in his memory, not yet deeply rooted in his heart.
Starting in the 16th century, the slave trade became highly profitable. European merchant ships would depart from European ports with firearms, ammunition, and consumer goods to trade for large numbers of slaves on the West African coast. These slaves were then transported across the Atlantic to the Americas, where they were exchanged for raw materials and gold coins from the colonies. The ships would then return to Europe with these goods, completing a six-month journey. Slave traders could make three transactions per trip, yielding profits from 100 to 1000 percent.
A family business
John Newton’s father was a slave trader. After his mother’s death, he was taken aboard the slave ships by his father. Quickly, Newton adopted all the vices of the sailors, leaving his mother’s teachings and the scriptures behind. He became a staunch atheist, often taking pride in blaspheming.
At just 20 years old, John Newton became a cold-blooded slave trader, notorious in the industry. The journey from Africa to South Carolina was a death voyage, with about a quarter of the slaves dying from cholera, malaria, or malnutrition. John Newton would callously throw the dead or sick slaves into the icy waters. In his memoir, John Newton later wrote that he had sold up to 20,000 slaves.
Captured and enlisted
In 1743, John Newton was captured and forcibly enlisted in the Royal Navy while visiting a friend. Initially appointed as a midshipman on the HMS Harwich, he attempted to escape, but failed. He was publicly flogged and demoted to an ordinary seaman.
During a voyage to India, John Newton was transferred to the slave ship Pegasus, which was heading to West Africa to trade goods for slaves. On the Pegasus, he continued to cause trouble, and eventually, the crew sold him to a West African slave trader named Amos Clowe. John Newton endured severe mistreatment until 1748, when a captain commissioned by John Newton’s father rescued him. During the return voyage to England, he spent his days reflecting on his life and the sins he had committed.
A life-changing storm
Soon after, John Newton set sail again, encountering a life-changing storm. One night, 23-year-old John Newton was jolted awake by a violent storm that battered his ship like a leaf in a hurricane. A massive wave punched a hole in the ship, and water poured in. Facing imminent death, John Newton clung to the useless rudder and cried to the sky, “God, forgive me, save me. If you exist, give this sinner another chance at life, and I will live anew…”
Miraculously, another wave struck, knocking over the cargo and plugging the hole in the ship. John Newton was shaken to his core, realizing that God’s hand had saved him from death. The ship eventually reached the shore, and John Newton kept his promise. He diligently began studying Hebrew and Latin and, having experienced a “miracle,” became a pastor.
A pastor’s mission
As a pastor, John Newton dedicated his life to abolishing slavery as a form of atonement. He encapsulated his life of depravity, tribulations, and eventual spiritual awakening in the hymn Amazing Grace.
John Newton was a down-to-earth pastor who deeply studied and understood the scriptures. He never used abstract religious jargon, but preached in language ordinary people could understand. He moved people with beautiful hymns and demonstrated the meaning of faith through his actions. He was steadfast in his commitment to goodness and revealed the tragic fate of black slaves to awaken the nation’s conscience.
A legacy of liberation
John Newton’s life seemed destined to save another group of suffering people. On December 21, 1807, John Newton inscribed his prepared epitaph on his tombstone and passed away peacefully. In 1807, the British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act by a vote of 41 to 20, marking the end of slavery in Britain.
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