WARREN SHIVER John Newton was born July 24, 1725 in Wapping, London, England to John Newton, a shipmaster in the Mediterranean Sea, and Elizabeth Newton. John's father was away at sea for months at a time, and was very little help to his wife in rearing John. Elizabeth John's mother caught tuberculosis, and was very sick for some time before she died. John was only six years old when she died. He was devastated by her death, and with no family to care for him, he was sent to a boarding school for a few years.

At the age of ten or eleven his father took him to sea with him, and he taught him the ropes of operating a ship. He started as a recruit and was promoted in stages until he was able to take over the helm. Capt. John decided to retire in 1742. By this time, young john had six voyages under his belt. It was John's father's plan for him to take up a position at a sugar plantation in Jamaica. Before they could get to Jamaica, John was drafted into Naval Service and became a midshipman aboard the HMS Harwich.

This arrangement did not suit John, because he had worked for his father and was a free spirit. He tried to go AWOL but was captured. He was put in chains and reduced to the rank of a common seaman. Newton made a deal with the Navy to trade him off to a slave ship bound for West Africa. He was taken to the coast of Sierra Leone. Here he became a servant of a slave trader. He was brutally abused, suffered starvation, illness and exposure. It was at this time that he forgot the Biblical training of his mother and became an infidel. Early in 1748, John was rescued by a Sea Captain friend of his father's who had asked him to be on the lookout for John.

After his rescue in 1748, he was returning to England aboard the slave trading ship, "Greyhound". During the voyage, they encountered a severe storm, which almost sank the ship. John awoke in the middle of the night, and as the ship was filling with water, he cried out to God to have mercy, and repeated The Lord's Prayer. It was this experience that marked the beginning of his conversion to Evangelism. As the ship limped into port, John had started reading the Bible, and by the time they reached Britain, he mentally accepted the doctrines of Christianity. The date was March 10-old calendar (21st new calendar), 1748 an anniversary he celebrated every year for the rest of his life.

John accepted a job on another slave ship, but treated the slaves as fellowmen, and not animals. John worked on two more slave ships over the next six years until 1754. He became very ill on this last trip, and after recovering; he gave up slave trading altogether. He felt the call to full time preaching. In 1755, Newton was a tide surveyor in

Liverpool. In his spare time, he studied Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. He became well known as an evangelical lay minister. After seven years of preaching, he was ordained into the Church of England on April 29, 1764, and Newton became a deacon, and on June 17th he finally became a priest.

In 1767, John worshipped with the great composer, William Cowper. They began writing hymns and in 1779 they published a popular book called "The Olney Hymns". This first book contained this hymn, "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", and his all time favorite, "Amazing Grace."

John Newton was born July 24, 1725 and died Dec. 21, 1807. William Cowper was born Nov. 26, 1731 and died April 25, 1800.

Stories Behind The Hymns is written by Warren Shiver of Biscoe,NC. Shiver has been fascinated with the true stories behind the hymns since he was a 12- year old attending East Gaffney Baptist Church in Gaffney, S.C. He began studying the stories behind the hymns in 1957. If you have questions or comments, he can be reached by email at wshiver99@embarqmail.com or by mail at PO BOX 775,Biscoe,NC 27209.

• 104 Of My Favorite Hymn Stories" book ,300 pages, $14.95, shipping is free to Ledger readers. Warren Shiver, PO BOX 775, Biscoe N.C. 27209.

Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken

Verse 1
Glorious things of Thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
Verse 2
See! The streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t'assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.
Verse 3
Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear!
For a glory and a cov'ring
Showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from our banner
Light by night and shade by day;
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which He gives them when they pray.
Verse 4
Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer's blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis His love His people raises,
Over self to reign as kings,
And as priests, His solemn praises
Each for a thank offering brings.
Verse 5
Savior, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in Thy Name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion's children know.