Sabbath Thought - Faithful Servant

John Newton was born on August 4, 1725. He first went to sea with his father at the age of eleven, and many more times with him before his father retired. At age 17 he signed on with a merchant ship going to the Mediterranean Sea, but while visiting friends he was seized and pressed into service in the Royal Navy. In spite of rising to the rank of a midshipman he deserted. Newton was captured and flogged in front of the whole crew.

He later transferred to a slave ship bound for West Africa. This ship was one of many working the "Triangle Trade". By this time, Newton had become a very disagreeable man. He did not get along with the crew of the slave ship, so they left him in Africa with one of the slave-traders. This man gave Newton to his wife as her personal slave. Newton escaped and returned to England a much different man than when he left, but he was still a very base man.

Newton was known to make fun of men of reputation and those in authority. As it happened, the ship he was on sailed into a violent storm, and eventually the ship's side collapsed from the pounding waters. No one on board expected to survive, but the cargo on the ship was buoyant enough to help keep the ship afloat long enough to eventually limp back to port four weeks later. Newton experienced a personal epiphany during that storm. The date became an anniversary he observed the rest of his life with prayer and fasting. He renounced profanity, gambling, and drinking and began to study the Bible.

Newton became a ship captain and made three more slave ship voyages, but suffered a severe stroke in 1754 at only 29 years old. While he retired from seafaring and direct slave trading, he continued to invest in slaving operations.  Starting the next year, he worked as a tax collector for the Port of Liverpool, and in his spare time studied Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. He became a well-known evangelical lay minister with people traveling to specifically hear him preach. In 1792 he received a Doctor of Divinity from what is now Princeton University, and broke a long silence on the slave trade with the publication of a forceful pamphlet Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade. He described the horrific conditions of the slave ships and apologized for his role in the slave trade. The pamphlet sold so well that it swiftly required reprinting. Newton became an ally of William Wilberforce, leader of the Parliamentary campaign to abolish the African slave trade. The British passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 did so.

When Newton became a minister, he also took up writing hymns.  He co-authored a book of hymns, two of which we are probably very familiar with - our Hymn 128 (Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken) and Faith's Review and Expectation, which has come to be known by its opening phrase, "Amazing Grace."  Newton also contributed to many other books and tracts. He believed and taught many doctrines we would not support, but his story of character growth is a powerful one. While he didn't understand the truth of Scripture, he understood enough about God to realize his life needed to change and become one of service to Him.

In Luke 12:42-47 Christ gave the parable of the faithful and wise steward. That steward was busy with the work his master asked him to take care of in his absence. By contrast the foolish steward put off his work thinking it would be some time before his master returned. In verse 48 Christ says, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

I often ponder stories of men like John Newton and wonder if I am doing enough with what God has given to me. As First-fruits with God's Holy Spirit you and I have been given much, and God expects much in return. Are we learning to teach, are we building God's character within us, are we yielding to Him and overcoming sin? All of that and more is worth considering in light of the future God is offering to us.

Many generations form now, what will someone read regarding our calling from God?  While we may not change the course of national politics as John Newton did, we are training for a work that will do more than that.  Are we about the business of our Father?  This is worth considering and acting upon.

I wish you a wonderful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

20 December, 2019