¤[music ends]¤¤
00:00:17.35\00:00:19.35
¤[church bell tolling, "Amazing
Grace" playing on fiddle]¤
00:00:21.75\00:00:32.33
>>John Bradshaw: He
was one of the architects
00:00:32.36\00:00:34.20
in the ending of
slavery in the British Empire,
00:00:34.20\00:00:37.80
and he wrote one
of the most famous
00:00:37.83\00:00:39.47
and best-loved hymns
ever sung, "Amazing Grace."
00:00:39.50\00:00:45.04
His life story is
fascinating, barely believable.
00:00:45.07\00:00:49.41
He is, without
exaggeration, one of history's
00:00:49.44\00:00:52.91
greatest figures, a towering
giant within Christianity,
00:00:52.95\00:00:57.22
whose influence
and accomplishments
00:00:57.25\00:01:00.06
changed the world.
00:01:00.09\00:01:02.32
His name was John Newton.
00:01:02.36\00:01:05.33
¤[pensive orchestral music]¤
00:01:05.36\00:01:08.30
[waves crashing]
00:01:08.33\00:01:12.33
¤[contemplative synth
music]¤ [ferry bell tolls]
00:01:20.84\00:01:24.85
[horn blowing, adults and
children talking indistinctly]
00:01:25.85\00:01:29.85
His early life
was very definitely
00:01:33.86\00:01:36.66
something of a contradiction
00:01:36.69\00:01:38.49
as the young man,
who knew far better,
00:01:38.53\00:01:40.76
tangled with some
very considerable demons.
00:01:40.80\00:01:45.07
Yet somehow he went on to become
00:01:45.10\00:01:46.80
the greatest
preacher of his time
00:01:46.84\00:01:49.00
and one of the best-known
men in all of Great Britain.
00:01:49.04\00:01:53.01
¤[music continues]¤
00:01:53.04\00:01:56.04
>>Tom Jones: Newton was born
in 1725 in an area of London
00:02:00.22\00:02:04.82
called Wapping, which
today would be regarded
00:02:04.85\00:02:08.66
as a particularly
rough area of London.
00:02:08.69\00:02:11.69
In those days it
was a very mixed area,
00:02:11.73\00:02:14.30
so you had sea
captains living there, uh,
00:02:14.36\00:02:16.67
as well as rough sailors
from, from all over the world.
00:02:16.70\00:02:20.34
[soft whoosh of traffic]
00:02:20.37\00:02:22.34
>>John: The early 1700s
was a time of hard living
00:02:22.37\00:02:25.67
and harsh justice.
00:02:25.71\00:02:27.44
Convicted pirates and mutineers
were brought here to Wapping
00:02:27.48\00:02:32.25
to be hanged for their misdeeds,
00:02:32.28\00:02:34.72
their bodies often
left on display for days
00:02:34.75\00:02:38.02
as a warning
against lawlessness.
00:02:38.05\00:02:41.09
The infamous
"hanging" Judge Jeffreys
00:02:41.12\00:02:43.43
used to drink
right here in this pub.
00:02:43.46\00:02:46.86
And it's said that
pirates were hanged on gallows
00:02:46.90\00:02:51.00
right behind the pub on
the banks of the River Thames.
00:02:51.03\00:02:54.34
In fact, just a month
before John Newton was born
00:02:54.37\00:02:57.87
in the year 1725, six pirates
were hanged for their crimes.
00:02:57.91\00:03:02.91
When Newton was
born, King George the First
00:03:05.48\00:03:08.22
was on the throne,
00:03:08.25\00:03:09.78
and the Church of
England was the ruling church.
00:03:09.82\00:03:13.02
Religion was very formal,
00:03:13.05\00:03:15.22
and the church was
really a political institution.
00:03:15.26\00:03:19.16
>>Tom: He was taken to, uh,
the chapel in Old Gravel Lane
00:03:19.19\00:03:23.37
by his rather pious
mother, um, but sadly,
00:03:23.40\00:03:27.00
she died when he
was only 6 years old.
00:03:27.04\00:03:31.01
Uh, he went to school a little
bit on the site of what was
00:03:31.04\00:03:33.94
the, uh, the London Olympic
Park in, uh, in Stafford, um,
00:03:33.98\00:03:39.41
but was taken off to sea
by his father when he was 11,
00:03:39.45\00:03:43.75
and his father was a, a captain
in the Mediterranean trade.
00:03:43.79\00:03:47.42
>>John: Now, his father was
austere, very distant, aloof,
00:03:47.46\00:03:53.13
probably very much
a product of his time.
00:03:53.16\00:03:55.86
After the death of Mrs. Newton,
the young boy was sent away
00:03:55.90\00:03:59.43
to boarding school, where
the headmaster was a cruel man.
00:03:59.47\00:04:03.77
Newton would later write about
the man's "imprudent severity."
00:04:03.81\00:04:08.41
His father remarried, and Newton
became a very angry person.
00:04:08.44\00:04:13.82
It definitely didn't look like
his mother's hopes for her son
00:04:13.85\00:04:18.15
would be fulfilled.
00:04:18.19\00:04:19.49
[rush of wind,
birds' wings flapping]
00:04:19.52\00:04:21.49
>>Tom: With his mother dying,
his father then married again
00:04:21.52\00:04:25.63
very quickly afterwards, um,
00:04:25.66\00:04:28.33
and I think there
was a little bit of a,
00:04:28.36\00:04:31.03
a bust-up within the
family in, in that sense,
00:04:31.07\00:04:33.90
so there was lack
of control over him.
00:04:33.94\00:04:36.81
Father had new
children to worry about;
00:04:36.84\00:04:39.17
he was sidelined a little
bit, I think, at that point.
00:04:39.21\00:04:42.34
So, uh, and so there was
no one really looking after
00:04:42.38\00:04:45.28
his, his moral
wellbeing, if you like.
00:04:45.31\00:04:47.98
>>John: The die was cast early.
00:04:49.65\00:04:51.45
The young man had a temper
and was prone to destructive,
00:04:51.49\00:04:55.29
antisocial behavior.
00:04:55.32\00:04:57.19
Now, there was plenty in
his life to make him bitter.
00:04:57.23\00:05:00.30
At the ripe old age of
10, John Newton left school
00:05:00.33\00:05:04.73
and went off to work.
00:05:04.77\00:05:05.93
His father decided it was
time for the boy to go to sea.
00:05:05.97\00:05:09.94
It was inevitable, really,
that he would end up at sea
00:05:09.97\00:05:12.97
as his father was a ship's
captain and had high hopes
00:05:13.01\00:05:16.48
that his son would
follow in his steps.
00:05:16.51\00:05:20.02
The younger Newton
made his first voyage
00:05:20.05\00:05:21.92
when he was just
11, sailing to Spain.
00:05:21.95\00:05:25.89
But in what would be a pattern
for much of the next 15 years
00:05:25.92\00:05:29.12
or so, once the
ship arrived in Spain,
00:05:29.16\00:05:33.06
Newton walked off the job.
00:05:33.09\00:05:35.40
>>Tom: Well, we've
only got Newton's word
00:05:36.33\00:05:37.77
for how bad he actually was.
00:05:37.80\00:05:39.83
Um, uh, he certainly lost
any religion that he had, uh,
00:05:39.87\00:05:45.34
when he was with his mother.
00:05:45.37\00:05:47.01
So, he became,
effectively, uh, an atheist.
00:05:47.04\00:05:49.78
He called himself "an infidel."
00:05:49.81\00:05:52.05
Uh, so when he
finally found religion,
00:05:52.08\00:05:54.52
he referred to himself
as "no longer an infidel."
00:05:54.55\00:05:58.09
>>John: When he was
19, he was press-ganged.
00:05:58.12\00:06:01.29
In those days, the
Royal Navy had the authority
00:06:01.32\00:06:04.23
to essentially
kidnap able-bodied men
00:06:04.26\00:06:07.13
and force them to
serve on board warships.
00:06:07.13\00:06:11.30
That's what happened to Newton.
00:06:11.33\00:06:13.74
And five weeks later,
England was at war with France.
00:06:13.77\00:06:18.31
Fortunately for
Newton, his father intervened,
00:06:18.34\00:06:20.81
and he was promoted.
00:06:20.84\00:06:22.54
But his attitude was so bad
00:06:22.58\00:06:24.71
and his treatment of other
people so harsh he was hated.
00:06:24.75\00:06:29.38
>>Tom: He certainly indulged
in, in all sorts of, uh,
00:06:29.42\00:06:32.82
nefarious activities,
uh, in his younger days.
00:06:32.85\00:06:36.19
And he was particularly,
uh, bad as a subordinate.
00:06:36.22\00:06:41.00
So, he, he was, um, he
would wind up his captains
00:06:41.03\00:06:44.83
and superiors in the, in
the ships to such an extent
00:06:44.87\00:06:48.54
that they were prepared to
exchange him in later years, uh,
00:06:48.57\00:06:52.91
uh, with other ships.
00:06:52.94\00:06:55.41
>>John: When his ship anchored
ahead of a journey to Asia
00:06:55.44\00:06:58.45
that would take him away
from home for five long years,
00:06:58.48\00:07:02.52
he got a day's leave
and went to see the girl
00:07:02.55\00:07:05.82
who had captured his heart.
00:07:05.85\00:07:07.76
That girl was his cousin.
At the time, she was only 13.
00:07:07.79\00:07:12.56
He went back to
the ship 10 days later.
00:07:12.59\00:07:16.43
Desertion was
punishable by death.
00:07:16.46\00:07:19.60
Newton was publicly flogged
with a cat-of-nine-tails,
00:07:19.63\00:07:22.80
and his rank was lowered.
00:07:22.84\00:07:24.81
He was bitterly angry,
thought of killing the captain.
00:07:24.84\00:07:28.61
He even thought
of killing himself.
00:07:28.64\00:07:31.31
[waves crashing]
00:07:31.35\00:07:32.68
In the fullness of time, he got
out of the navy, miraculously,
00:07:33.75\00:07:37.72
and was employed
on a trading ship.
00:07:37.75\00:07:40.46
He found himself in Africa
and got work on a slave ship.
00:07:40.49\00:07:45.26
The next few years were a
combination of sin, miracles,
00:07:45.29\00:07:49.23
and, to some degree or another,
wrestling with conviction.
00:07:49.26\00:07:53.44
While he was living on an island
off the coast of Sierra Leone,
00:07:53.47\00:07:56.30
the African wife of
his slave-trading employer
00:07:56.34\00:07:59.54
kept him as a slave.
00:07:59.57\00:08:02.04
He only survived because
other slaves shared with him
00:08:02.08\00:08:05.38
the little food that they had.
00:08:05.41\00:08:07.68
When he was 20, his
employer chained him to the deck
00:08:07.72\00:08:11.42
of a ship for several
days while they were at sea.
00:08:11.45\00:08:15.72
Somehow he managed to
get out of there alive.
00:08:15.76\00:08:19.06
Evidently, God had
not forgotten the prayers
00:08:19.09\00:08:22.60
of his praying mother.
00:08:22.63\00:08:23.77
¤[soft reflective music]¤
00:08:23.80\00:08:26.80
But the worst was still
to come for John Newton.
00:08:29.40\00:08:32.14
Fortunately, so was the best.
00:08:32.17\00:08:34.48
He'd become the
captain of a slave ship,
00:08:34.51\00:08:36.75
a minister of the gospel, and
one of the most influential men
00:08:36.78\00:08:39.98
in all of Great Britain.
00:08:40.02\00:08:41.78
He'd write "Amazing Grace"
00:08:41.82\00:08:43.49
and then play a key role
in the abolition of slavery.
00:08:43.52\00:08:47.86
It's quite the story.
00:08:47.89\00:08:49.22
I'll have more in just a moment.
00:08:49.26\00:08:51.56
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:08:51.59\00:08:58.57
>>John:
Temptation is a fact of life,
00:09:02.17\00:09:04.14
but you can be successful
when it comes near you.
00:09:04.17\00:09:07.31
Be sure you get today's free
offer, "When the Lion Roars,"
00:09:07.34\00:09:11.31
and find out how you can
successfully defeat temptation
00:09:11.35\00:09:14.58
instead of
being defeated by sin.
00:09:14.62\00:09:16.92
To get your free copy
of "When the Lion Roars,"
00:09:16.95\00:09:19.59
call us on 800-253-3000.
00:09:19.62\00:09:23.43
You can also visit us online,
00:09:23.46\00:09:25.09
write to the
address on your screen,
00:09:25.13\00:09:27.30
or text "freelion" to 71392.
00:09:27.36\00:09:31.50
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:09:33.00\00:09:34.94
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:09:34.97\00:09:38.71
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:09:38.74\00:09:41.38
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:09:41.41\00:09:45.71
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:09:45.75\00:09:47.35
to the address on your screen,
00:09:47.38\00:09:48.82
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:09:48.85\00:09:52.89
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:09:52.92\00:09:55.09
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:09:55.12\00:09:58.83
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:09:58.86\00:10:02.50
¤[reflective strings music]¤
00:10:05.07\00:10:09.07
>>John Bradshaw: John
Newton would become famous
00:10:11.54\00:10:13.17
as the man who
wrote "Amazing Grace."
00:10:13.21\00:10:15.88
But his journey from scoundrel
00:10:15.91\00:10:17.81
to gospel
minister and hymn writer,
00:10:17.85\00:10:20.48
from outcast to
pillar of society here
00:10:20.52\00:10:23.05
in the village of Olney would
take a lot of twists and turns.
00:10:23.08\00:10:26.89
He would come "through many
dangers, toils, and snares."
00:10:26.92\00:10:31.56
[latch clicks, door creaking,
then closing with a thud]
00:10:31.59\00:10:36.36
This was the home
of Newton's good friend
00:10:37.30\00:10:39.80
and hymn-writing
partner William Cowper.
00:10:39.83\00:10:43.00
Today it's a museum
dedicated to the two men.
00:10:43.04\00:10:45.94
¤[music
continues, now on piano]¤
00:10:45.97\00:10:47.88
In the famous song he wrote,
00:10:47.91\00:10:49.88
John Newton described
himself as a "wretch":
00:10:49.91\00:10:53.65
"Amazing grace!
(how sweet the sound)
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.92
That saved a wretch like me!"
00:10:55.95\00:10:59.72
You know, I'm sure there are
poets and writers who overstate
00:10:59.75\00:11:02.22
certain things for
effect, stretch the truth,
00:11:02.26\00:11:05.36
fabricate a little
just to make a point.
00:11:05.39\00:11:07.93
Here, John Newton did not.
00:11:07.96\00:11:11.40
When he described
himself as a wretch,
00:11:11.43\00:11:14.37
he might even have
been understating things.
00:11:14.40\00:11:18.01
He was a drunk, a bad drunk.
00:11:18.04\00:11:20.74
He got involved in witchcraft.
00:11:20.78\00:11:23.38
He was promiscuous,
even with the girl he loved
00:11:23.41\00:11:26.58
and hoped to marry
at home in England.
00:11:26.61\00:11:29.82
And working on slave ships--
00:11:29.85\00:11:32.49
there's no easy way to say this.
00:11:32.52\00:11:34.52
It wasn't uncommon for
the sailors on the ships
00:11:34.56\00:11:37.33
to commit indignities
against the female slaves.
00:11:37.36\00:11:41.43
And Newton did.
00:11:41.46\00:11:42.76
¤[music continues
on strings and piano]¤
00:11:42.80\00:11:44.60
But what's fascinating is
that God continued to work
00:11:44.63\00:11:47.84
with John Newton,
continued to call to him.
00:11:47.87\00:11:51.21
Having got away from
the terrible situation
00:11:51.24\00:11:53.48
on the island off Sierra Leone,
where he was essentially kept
00:11:53.51\00:11:56.34
as a slave, he agreed to return
to England when he was told
00:11:56.38\00:11:59.78
there was an
inheritance waiting for him.
00:11:59.81\00:12:02.35
Well, there wasn't.
00:12:02.38\00:12:03.42
It was a ploy by his
father to get him home,
00:12:03.45\00:12:06.02
although he
almost never made it.
00:12:06.05\00:12:08.66
[ship creaking, waves rushing]
00:12:08.69\00:12:09.76
>>Tom Jones: He set sail
for the U.K. in 1747, um,
00:12:09.79\00:12:16.70
on a ship called
the, "The Greyhound,"
00:12:16.73\00:12:19.40
and he was reading anything
that was available on the ship
00:12:19.43\00:12:22.10
at the time. And one, one of
the books on there was a book,
00:12:22.14\00:12:25.14
which is apparently the,
one of the more popular books
00:12:25.17\00:12:29.08
of the time, called
"The Imitation of Christ"
00:12:29.11\00:12:31.01
by Thomas Aquinas.
00:12:31.05\00:12:32.98
Uh, so he's obviously
starting to, to at least think
00:12:33.01\00:12:35.98
around the subject.
00:12:36.02\00:12:38.22
Uh, and then he was
in a terrible storm.
00:12:38.25\00:12:40.72
[thunder crashes]
00:12:40.76\00:12:42.16
Someone was washed overseas,
00:12:42.19\00:12:43.73
and they came
close to, to death.
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.33
And this was the epiphany
moment that, uh, that set him,
00:12:46.36\00:12:51.40
uh, in the
direction that he headed.
00:12:51.43\00:12:53.90
So, that was, uh,
his conversion moment.
00:12:53.94\00:12:56.81
And he relapsed,
by his own admission,
00:12:56.84\00:12:59.07
a couple of times en, en route.
00:12:59.11\00:13:02.08
And it was only
after that time, of course,
00:13:02.11\00:13:03.81
that he became,
uh, a, a slave captain.
00:13:03.85\00:13:08.82
Um, it was in 1750 through
to 1754 that he captained
00:13:08.85\00:13:14.66
three voyages, uh,
to the West Indies.
00:13:14.69\00:13:18.36
Uh, and all of the time his
religious beliefs were evolving.
00:13:18.39\00:13:23.67
Uh, in particular, he met a,
a chap called Alexander Clunie
00:13:23.70\00:13:27.90
in 1754 in St. Kitts.
00:13:27.94\00:13:30.51
Um, and he brought him
up to date with the, uh,
00:13:30.54\00:13:33.38
what was known as the
evangelical revolution
00:13:33.41\00:13:35.28
that was
occurring at, at that time.
00:13:35.31\00:13:37.35
And this helped him crystalize
his thoughts on the subject.
00:13:37.38\00:13:41.95
>>John: It's easy to wonder
about Newton's blind spot,
00:13:41.98\00:13:44.92
but every single person living
in Great Britain at that time
00:13:44.95\00:13:49.22
had precisely
the same blind spot.
00:13:49.26\00:13:52.59
The first time anyone
really spoke out against slavery
00:13:52.63\00:13:55.96
was 1758 when the Quakers
protested against the system.
00:13:56.00\00:14:00.77
Otherwise,
simply wasn't an issue--
00:14:00.80\00:14:04.17
unless, of course, you
were the one who was enslaved.
00:14:04.21\00:14:06.91
Then, well, then it was
a ghastly, hideous system.
00:14:06.94\00:14:11.95
>>Tom: Well, uh, he referred
to it, in the early days,
00:14:12.95\00:14:15.78
as being something of a genteel
profession, believe it or not.
00:14:15.82\00:14:19.85
It's, it's amazing for
us to consider that today.
00:14:19.89\00:14:22.52
There were no
anti-slavery movements.
00:14:22.56\00:14:25.59
Um, 1758 in the States,
00:14:25.63\00:14:27.93
1783 in Britain were
the, the first dawnings of a,
00:14:27.96\00:14:32.60
of a, an abolitionist movement.
00:14:32.63\00:14:35.70
There was clearly
some discomfort amongst
00:14:35.74\00:14:38.77
the more sensitive captains at
the time, and Newton started to,
00:14:38.81\00:14:45.15
uh, evidence this within
his "Authentic Narrative"
00:14:45.18\00:14:49.72
sometime afterwards in 1764,
00:14:49.75\00:14:52.42
but he was clearly uncomfortable
with, with what he was doing.
00:14:52.45\00:14:56.99
He was too familiar, he said,
00:14:57.03\00:14:58.63
with the shackles and
keys of the, of the profession.
00:14:58.66\00:15:02.33
So, uh, but how they discussed
the finer points of the, um,
00:15:02.36\00:15:07.37
of the evangelical movement
while sitting on the top of, uh,
00:15:07.40\00:15:11.27
uh, a slave vessel is, is
difficult for us today to, uh,
00:15:11.31\00:15:16.14
to get a grip of.
00:15:16.18\00:15:17.48
¤[soft music]¤
00:15:17.51\00:15:19.01
>>John: Newton would make three
voyages as a ship's captain.
00:15:19.05\00:15:22.68
Even with a young woman
at home he hoped to marry,
00:15:22.72\00:15:25.62
even while conviction was
fastening itself upon his heart,
00:15:25.65\00:15:29.42
Newton arrived in Africa
00:15:29.46\00:15:30.99
essentially as
bad as he ever was.
00:15:31.03\00:15:34.46
He was back to his old sins.
00:15:34.46\00:15:37.03
He would later write,
00:15:37.07\00:15:38.43
"The enemy prepared
a train of temptation,
00:15:38.47\00:15:41.24
and I became his easy prey."
00:15:41.27\00:15:44.47
One thing we need
to be honest about
00:15:44.51\00:15:46.61
is that faith in God
can be a messy business.
00:15:46.64\00:15:50.71
Growth is difficult. It
isn't always neat and tidy.
00:15:50.75\00:15:54.65
In fact, it is
rarely neat and tidy,
00:15:54.68\00:15:57.69
which might be why
Newton's story is so important.
00:15:57.72\00:16:01.36
He went on to become genuinely
a colossus in Christianity,
00:16:01.39\00:16:06.19
but he didn't
get there overnight.
00:16:06.23\00:16:08.16
That's probably comforting
to a great many people
00:16:08.20\00:16:10.60
who are struggling today.
00:16:10.63\00:16:12.30
Often a person decides to
quit because of the struggles
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.40
they're having, the weaknesses
they see within themselves.
00:16:15.44\00:16:18.54
They feel like a hypocrite.
00:16:18.57\00:16:20.64
But why give up on yourself
when God doesn't give up on you?
00:16:20.68\00:16:25.41
"I'm not good
enough," somebody might say.
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.32
Well, no, that's
true, but the gospel works
00:16:27.35\00:16:31.55
when God works in you and His
goodness is seen in your life.
00:16:31.59\00:16:36.76
There's a huge difference.
00:16:36.79\00:16:38.29
Paul wrote that the
mystery of the gospel
00:16:38.33\00:16:40.26
"is Christ in you,
the hope of glory."
00:16:40.30\00:16:43.40
He also wrote, "It
is God who works in you
00:16:43.43\00:16:45.93
both to will and to do
for His good pleasure."
00:16:45.97\00:16:49.07
Newton was figuring out how
to allow God to work in him.
00:16:49.10\00:16:54.08
¤[music continues]¤
00:16:54.11\00:16:56.11
As he grew in grace,
he realized he needed
00:16:59.51\00:17:02.68
to take steps to
curb his passions.
00:17:02.72\00:17:05.25
So, to do so, he
became a vegetarian
00:17:05.29\00:17:08.46
and drank nothing
stronger than water.
00:17:08.49\00:17:11.56
What really helped his faith
was meeting a Christian captain
00:17:11.59\00:17:15.46
while on the island of
St. Kitts in the Caribbean.
00:17:15.50\00:17:18.73
Until then, he'd never really
been connected with a church
00:17:18.77\00:17:22.17
or a pastor or any
kind of Bible teacher.
00:17:22.20\00:17:25.54
Now he learned of
justification by faith.
00:17:25.57\00:17:28.28
He learned of the
power of the gospel.
00:17:28.31\00:17:30.48
Now he began to reflect on
the cruelty of the slave trade.
00:17:30.51\00:17:34.88
And as providence would have it,
00:17:34.92\00:17:36.72
he experienced a medical event,
00:17:36.75\00:17:38.95
following which a doctor told
him he could no longer sail.
00:17:38.99\00:17:43.73
Newton was out
of the slave trade.
00:17:43.76\00:17:46.73
¤[music
continues]¤ [birds twittering]
00:17:46.76\00:17:48.16
With his
Christian faith growing,
00:17:48.20\00:17:50.40
Newton became acquainted
00:17:50.43\00:17:51.83
with some of the
great preachers of his day.
00:17:51.87\00:17:55.10
He attended services conducted
by the great evangelist
00:17:55.14\00:17:57.97
George Whitefield,
an Anglican minister
00:17:58.01\00:18:00.58
who became one of the founders
of the Methodist Church.
00:18:00.61\00:18:04.21
Newton heard
Wesley preach as well
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.61
and was acquainted
with the great man of God.
00:18:06.65\00:18:09.55
So, what would he do next?
00:18:09.58\00:18:11.29
He was an
out-of-work ship's captain
00:18:11.32\00:18:13.36
until he got work in Liverpool
as the surveyor of tides,
00:18:13.39\00:18:17.23
essentially a customs officer--
00:18:17.26\00:18:20.03
a long way from
being an ordained minister.
00:18:20.06\00:18:23.23
As it turned out, God had
big plans for John Newton.
00:18:23.26\00:18:27.74
Back in just a moment.
00:18:27.77\00:18:29.07
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:18:29.10\00:18:36.11
>>John: I'm in the Bahamas.
00:18:39.35\00:18:40.78
It's a slice of
paradise, really,
00:18:40.82\00:18:43.22
and as beautiful as it is, it's
a place with a colorful past.
00:18:43.25\00:18:48.09
Once upon a time, the
Bahamas was a haven for pirates.
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.83
Blackbeard sailed these waters.
00:18:52.86\00:18:55.03
Pirates lived, or
live, outside the law.
00:18:55.06\00:18:59.03
They are lawless.
00:18:59.07\00:19:01.30
And the fact is
they were thieves,
00:19:01.34\00:19:03.30
[men yelling,
swords clashing] murderers.
00:19:03.34\00:19:05.47
This isn't a game.
00:19:05.51\00:19:07.11
We still see lawlessness today.
00:19:07.14\00:19:11.51
The battle is real.
00:19:11.55\00:19:13.58
Undoubtedly
you've experienced it.
00:19:13.62\00:19:15.38
You might be caught
in the middle of it now.
00:19:15.42\00:19:18.12
Can you see
yourself in that picture,
00:19:18.15\00:19:20.22
doing the things that
you know you should not?
00:19:20.26\00:19:22.92
See yourself in that picture?
00:19:22.96\00:19:24.93
You want a way
out of lawlessness?
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.00
You want a way out of
slavery to the old life?
00:19:27.03\00:19:30.47
Jesus is that way.
00:19:30.50\00:19:33.50
"Lawless," watch
now on It Is Written TV.
00:19:33.54\00:19:37.54
¤[reflective music]¤
00:19:40.44\00:19:43.45
>>John Bradshaw: By now
Newton was married to Mary,
00:19:46.51\00:19:49.08
or Polly as she
was better known.
00:19:49.12\00:19:51.52
It was a happy marriage.
00:19:51.55\00:19:52.79
Newton was a devoted husband.
00:19:52.82\00:19:54.82
But what was he in
terms of Christianity?
00:19:54.86\00:19:57.56
He essentially
believed as a Methodist.
00:19:57.59\00:20:00.30
Methodists at that time were
part of the Church of England,
00:20:00.33\00:20:02.70
so he was an Anglican.
00:20:02.73\00:20:04.60
Having said that,
00:20:04.63\00:20:05.90
he was very sympathetic to
the cause of the Dissenters.
00:20:05.93\00:20:08.77
Dissenters were Protestants
00:20:08.80\00:20:10.47
who wanted the state
out of church matters.
00:20:10.51\00:20:14.14
In fact, the first
sermon Newton ever preached
00:20:14.18\00:20:16.85
was at a Dissenter meetinghouse
in Leeds in Yorkshire,
00:20:16.88\00:20:20.82
and it was not a success.
00:20:20.85\00:20:22.55
It lasted all of 10 minutes
before his mind went blank
00:20:22.58\00:20:26.05
and he completely
ran out of things to say.
00:20:26.09\00:20:29.32
He was so discouraged he
thought he'd never preach again.
00:20:29.36\00:20:34.13
Even though he'd taught himself
to read biblical languages,
00:20:34.20\00:20:36.97
the aspiring preacher hadn't
attended school for ministers.
00:20:37.00\00:20:41.17
And there was no way
the establishment church,
00:20:41.20\00:20:43.27
the Church of
England, wanted to ordain him.
00:20:43.30\00:20:46.27
Another thing that counted
against him was his enthusiasm.
00:20:46.31\00:20:49.81
If you wonder what that was,
00:20:49.84\00:20:51.51
it's exactly
what it sounds like.
00:20:51.55\00:20:53.28
Newton was enthusiastic,
00:20:53.31\00:20:55.28
and church
authorities didn't like that.
00:20:55.32\00:20:58.19
They thought he was too
fervent about his faith in God.
00:20:58.22\00:21:01.39
The last thing they wanted
was a man in the pulpit who was
00:21:01.42\00:21:04.66
evangelistic and passionate
about what he believed.
00:21:04.69\00:21:07.96
[rumble and whoosh of traffic]
00:21:08.00\00:21:09.96
But after six years
of waiting and praying,
00:21:10.00\00:21:13.00
Newton was called into
ministry, thanks largely
00:21:13.03\00:21:16.47
to the intervention
of the Earl of Dartmouth,
00:21:16.50\00:21:19.31
the man after
whom Dartmouth College
00:21:19.34\00:21:21.14
in New Hampshire would be named.
00:21:21.18\00:21:24.35
Newton had been asked
to be an itinerant preacher
00:21:24.38\00:21:26.85
for the Methodist movement,
but he believed his future
00:21:26.88\00:21:29.98
was with the established church,
00:21:30.02\00:21:32.15
even if he did see some
things a little differently.
00:21:32.19\00:21:35.46
Ultimately, he was
called to serve as the pastor
00:21:35.49\00:21:38.83
of this church, the Church
of England congregation in Olney
00:21:38.86\00:21:43.00
in Buckinghamshire, about
50 miles northwest of London.
00:21:43.03\00:21:47.64
>>Tom: Olney was a pretty
rough place in, in those days,
00:21:47.67\00:21:51.01
extremely poor, with
1,200 very poor lacemakers.
00:21:51.04\00:21:55.98
That was the, the core
of the business in the town.
00:21:56.01\00:21:58.81
It was basically supporting
agricultural activities around.
00:21:58.85\00:22:02.62
There would be a
tannery and local craftsmen
00:22:02.65\00:22:05.99
but otherwise, uh, you
know, a, a bit of a backwater.
00:22:06.02\00:22:10.29
And they even missed the
Industrial Revolution, really.
00:22:10.33\00:22:12.59
No, no big
industries were created here.
00:22:12.63\00:22:16.00
So, if you wanted
to earn more money,
00:22:16.03\00:22:17.70
you'd go into the
big cities to earn it.
00:22:17.73\00:22:20.97
It was estimated in 1700 that
40 percent of the population
00:22:21.00\00:22:25.24
were nonconformists,
which is very high, uh,
00:22:25.27\00:22:29.01
in the, in the
country in those days.
00:22:29.04\00:22:30.65
So, we have Congregationalists,
00:22:30.68\00:22:32.41
Baptists,
Quakers, and such like--
00:22:32.45\00:22:35.48
with, with, uh, big
congregations as well.
00:22:35.52\00:22:38.95
And Newton got on
very well with, with them.
00:22:38.99\00:22:41.89
So, it was, it seemed to
be quite a good place for him
00:22:41.92\00:22:45.13
to start his
career. [gate clanks shut]
00:22:45.16\00:22:47.23
So, from the point at
which he was sort of born again,
00:22:47.30\00:22:51.20
his epiphany moment in, in 1748
00:22:51.23\00:22:54.20
on a, uh, on a ship in the
middle of the Atlantic, um,
00:22:54.24\00:22:58.37
it was another 10
years before he even started,
00:22:58.41\00:23:01.71
uh, preparing for a,
a career in the church,
00:23:01.74\00:23:05.38
although he had studied,
uh, the Bible and other texts
00:23:05.41\00:23:08.72
a lot, uh, during that period.
00:23:08.75\00:23:10.39
And even then, it took
another seven years, uh,
00:23:10.42\00:23:14.36
for him to find
his position, um,
00:23:14.39\00:23:17.49
within the Anglican
Church that he finally did.
00:23:17.53\00:23:20.43
And he was turned down
quite a lot on the way to, uh,
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.60
to, to getting
his position here.
00:23:23.63\00:23:26.00
So, I think he
would've been quite glad
00:23:26.03\00:23:27.34
to have got something, his
foot in the door, if you like,
00:23:27.37\00:23:30.41
uh, starting at the bottom,
00:23:30.44\00:23:31.91
because he was only
curate-in-charge here.
00:23:31.94\00:23:34.81
He wasn't the full
vicar because in those days
00:23:34.84\00:23:37.88
the vicars tended to
hang on to their positions
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.62
and some of the money
associated with the role.
00:23:40.65\00:23:43.45
So his predecessor had,
uh, had, uh, had gone off
00:23:43.49\00:23:47.12
but retained that position.
00:23:47.16\00:23:48.82
¤[reflective music]¤
00:23:48.86\00:23:50.03
>>John: It was here in Olney
that John Newton would serve
00:23:50.06\00:23:53.03
as the pastor of this church.
00:23:53.06\00:23:56.16
And it's here that he
wrote "Amazing Grace,"
00:23:56.20\00:23:58.03
perhaps the best-loved hymn
in the English-speaking world.
00:23:58.07\00:24:02.40
He wrote the song
in the nearby vicarage.
00:24:02.44\00:24:05.51
The hymn-writer
would also become
00:24:05.54\00:24:07.01
a wildly successful author.
00:24:07.04\00:24:09.48
The former slave trader
would become an integral part
00:24:09.51\00:24:11.81
in the abolition of
slavery in the British Empire.
00:24:11.85\00:24:15.55
Evidently a person
can change--like Manasseh
00:24:15.58\00:24:19.72
in the Bible, or Solomon
or Samson or David or Saul
00:24:19.75\00:24:24.16
or James and John, who Jesus
called "the Sons of Thunder."
00:24:24.19\00:24:29.30
John Newton had been a wretch,
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.80
but grace saved
and transformed him.
00:24:31.83\00:24:36.14
But why him and not
King Saul or Achan or Judas?
00:24:36.17\00:24:42.44
The answer is simple.
00:24:42.48\00:24:43.81
Newton surrendered.
00:24:43.85\00:24:46.48
Perhaps the
answer is in the song:
00:24:46.51\00:24:48.48
"'Twas grace that
taught my heart to fear,
00:24:48.52\00:24:51.25
"And grace my fears reliev'd;
00:24:51.29\00:24:53.66
"How precious
did that grace appear
00:24:53.69\00:24:56.96
The hour I first believ'd!"
00:24:56.99\00:25:00.63
¤[music continues]¤
00:25:00.66\00:25:03.10
[church bell tolling]
00:25:03.13\00:25:08.14
The story of the life of John
Newton is a story of redemption.
00:25:12.51\00:25:17.01
The story of a
sinner, powerless against sin,
00:25:17.05\00:25:20.88
who found hope and forgiveness
00:25:20.92\00:25:23.15
and poured his life into
helping others find the same.
00:25:23.18\00:25:27.32
A hymn written
more than 250 years ago
00:25:27.36\00:25:30.56
is still helping
others to find redemption.
00:25:30.59\00:25:33.93
A life lived carelessly
at first was turned around,
00:25:33.96\00:25:38.30
and Newton became a colossus.
00:25:38.33\00:25:41.27
God still turns lives around,
00:25:41.30\00:25:44.11
and He's willing
to turn yours around.
00:25:44.14\00:25:46.31
If you'll ask
Jesus into your heart,
00:25:46.34\00:25:49.31
the grace that transformed
John Newton and gave him hope
00:25:49.34\00:25:53.15
in this world and
for the world to come
00:25:53.18\00:25:56.58
will do the same for you.
00:25:56.62\00:25:58.62
>>John:
Temptation is a fact of life,
00:26:01.09\00:26:03.12
but you can be successful
when it comes near you.
00:26:03.16\00:26:06.29
Be sure you get today's free
offer, "When the Lion Roars,"
00:26:06.33\00:26:10.27
and find out how you can
successfully defeat temptation
00:26:10.30\00:26:13.47
instead of
being defeated by sin.
00:26:13.50\00:26:15.80
To get your free copy
of "When the Lion Roars,"
00:26:15.84\00:26:18.57
call us on 800-253-3000.
00:26:18.61\00:26:22.38
You can also visit us online,
00:26:22.41\00:26:24.21
write to the
address on your screen,
00:26:24.25\00:26:26.31
or text "freelion" to 71392.
00:26:26.35\00:26:30.35
>>John: Let me pray for you now.
00:26:32.52\00:26:34.42
Our Father in heaven, we
thank You today for grace.
00:26:34.46\00:26:38.09
We thank You
that You give a future
00:26:38.13\00:26:39.79
to everyone who wants a future.
00:26:39.83\00:26:42.93
We thank You You are the God
of forgiveness and cleansing.
00:26:42.96\00:26:46.80
We thank You that You
are the God of a new life,
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.84
just as you gave
Newton a new heart
00:26:48.87\00:26:51.11
and a new life--and a ministry.
00:26:51.14\00:26:54.21
You'd do the same
for anyone willing.
00:26:54.24\00:26:56.11
You'd give that person
a new heart, a new life,
00:26:56.14\00:26:58.65
and a purpose on this earth.
00:26:58.68\00:27:01.45
Friend, if you would receive
the grace that God offers,
00:27:01.48\00:27:04.45
would you invite Him
into your heart right now?
00:27:04.49\00:27:06.45
¤[soft music]¤
00:27:06.49\00:27:07.52
Heavenly Father, take
that heart, take that life,
00:27:07.56\00:27:10.86
fill that person
with Your presence,
00:27:10.89\00:27:13.33
give that person hope
not just in this world
00:27:13.36\00:27:15.70
but for all eternity,
that when Jesus returns,
00:27:15.73\00:27:19.87
the one who has opened up
his heart or her heart to You,
00:27:19.90\00:27:22.34
right now, will spend
eternity in Your presence.
00:27:22.37\00:27:26.94
We look for that day;
00:27:26.98\00:27:27.91
keep us until then
by Your grace, we pray,
00:27:27.94\00:27:32.18
in Jesus' name.
00:27:32.21\00:27:34.18
Amen.
00:27:34.22\00:27:35.65
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:35.68\00:27:36.99
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:37.02\00:27:38.72
Until then, remember:
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.86
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:40.89\00:27:44.43
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:44.46\00:27:49.40
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:49.43\00:27:54.44
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84