Memoirs

To the friend who solicits him in this respect, the author tells the story of his life through a series of 14 letters. At the onset just a simple sailor on a commercial vessel, thereafter a slave in Africa and for a while even a slave merchant, miscreant, hothead, he abruptly converted himself when he became aware he had always been accompanied and protected by divine grace. Having thus embraced an ecclesiastical career, he then expressed his inner experience through many poems and hymns, one of which is still today well reknowned: «Amazing grace...»

John Newton, London 24th July 1725 - 21st December 1807 The son of a sailor and orphaned at an early age, John Newton followed his father into the navy at the age of 11. His impetuous nature and abhorrence of discipline made life difficult, but he eventually commanded his own ship and joined the slave trade. The veneer of religious instruction given by his mother had been erased early on, but his last-ditch rescue in a storm, when for the first time he uttered a heartfelt prayer, changed the course of his life. He devoted himself to God and took up a career in the church. One of the many hymns he wrote for church services is still going strong today: "Amazing grace..."