John Newton’s autobiography written in the form of letters to a friend.
Service to
An
account of the Life of John Newton until 1757 when he was beginning to prepare
for the ministry
Letter I The Lord’s
providential care
Letter II Early Life
(1725 -1742)
Letter III December 1742 –
January 1745
From Letter XIII
John Newton
writes:
‘During the
time I was engaged in the slave trade I never had the least scruple as to its
lawfulness. I was upon the whole satisfied with it as the appointment
Providence had marked out for me. Yet it was in many respects far from
suitable. It is indeed accounted a genteel employment, and is usually very
profitable, though to me it did not prove so, the Lord seeing that a large
increase of wealth would no be good for me. However, I considered myself as a
sort of jailer or turnkey, and I was sometimes shocked with an employment that
was perpetually conversant with chains, bolts, and shackles.’