Beyond Amazing Grace: Timeless Pastoral Wisdom from the Letters, Sermons and Hymns of John Newton - Softcover

This unique compilation enables the reader to access Newton's writings be they letters sermons or hymns. Imagine the most hardened juvenile delinquent you have ever seen, multiply that image times ten and you'll have some idea of what John Newton was like before he was a Christian. Surely no one would knew Newton as a young person would ever have dreamed that this teenage rebel, profane sailor, military deserter, and slave-trader would ever be converted to Christ, much less, one day write the lyrics to one of the best known hymns of all time, Amazing Grace. The incredible story of how such a notorious sinner became an equally noteworthy pastor and a leader of the evangelical movement in eighteenth-century England is simply astounding. This book includes numerous stories from Newton's life, as well as insights into the cultural, historical, and theological contexts in which he ministered. It is a compilation taken from Newton's letters, which offers profound, compassionate counsel; his sermons, filled with passionate evangelistic pleas and fiery challenges for Christians; and his hymns, characterized by incredible spiritual transparency.