Life and Letters

by John Newton

This book offers selections from the life story and the many practical letters the Reverend John Newton, probably best known as the author of the celebrated hymn "Amazing Grace" wrote during his long ministry. Once a self-described blasphemer, libertine, and debauched seaman, Newton experienced God's amazing grace and deliverance both spiritually and physically during an enormous storm at sea. Newton's words are taken from the eighteenth century, but they are revelant and helpful to the Christian in today's times.

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: John Newton


John Newton was born in London and at age eleven went to sea with his father, a shipmaster on the Mediterranean. Disregarding his mother's prayer that he enter the ministry, he engaged in the lucrative but brutal African slave trade for a number of years. Afterwards, he served in the Church of England as pastor of Olney parish and later of the combined church of St. Mary's in London. In addition to the words of "Amazing Grace," Newton was a prolific songwriter whose other well-known hymns include "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken" and "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds."