Grace Along the Journey

For John Newton, life was a miracle of grace from beginning to end. One of the most miraculous things about it was the way God spoke to him at every stage, surrounding him with assurances of His love and care.



Warning Grace

At age 17 Newton sailed away on a merchant ship bound for the Mediterranean. After the terrible disappointment of his mother's death, Newton began sailing on ships at age 11. He was "exposed to the company and ill example of the common sailors." His mother's teachings faded away, and he "was making large strides towards a total apostasy from God."

At this point, he had a dream - a vision where God visited him with a warning. He came to see it as a symbolic representation of the direction his life was taking and a solemn indication of the risk he ran in despising the treasure entrusted to him in early childhood. Many years later he would look back and recall the details of the dream and he marveled at the miracle of warning grace that had been granted to him even while in a state of stubborn, self-willed rebellion.

God has provided us clues for the journey.