~Amazeing Grace~ The Story, The Song

For as long as I can remember, The song "Amazeing Grace" has been one of my favorite hymns. Amazeing Grace was the first song I played on the keyboard, after learning how to make the chords on it, after my husband gave me, my first keyboard. The song Amazeing Grace was my Mom's favorite hymn, and her Mom's and my paternal grandma's favorite too. But, The song has been the favorite of many through the ages. from coast to coast of the USA to the lands far away across the ocean's around the globe. As I have been to many churches, in the different places that I have visited, the song is one that is always played, and sung for every church service, church function, and prayer meeting's in homes, wether there is music or not the voices sing out, "Amazeing Grace How Sweet The Sound That Saved A Wretch Like Me...


Here is the story of the song, and how it relates to you and me!





The story of John Newton is truely the story behind "Amazeing Grace." One would be hard pressed to imagine, let alone to live, a blasphemous life equal to Newton's early years. This story is from the accounts of Newton's own hand writeing.
Death took his saintly mother's life in July, 1732, when John Newton was thirteen days from his seventh birthday. He writes, "Almost her whole employment was the care of my education. At not more than three years of age she herself taught me English. When I was four years old I could read with propriety in any common book. She stored my memory with many valuable pieces, chapters and portions of Scripture, hymns and poems."
After her death, and with only three years of formal schooling, Newton went to sea with his father, the captain of a merchant ship. From that Newton began a decline into rebellion and degradation that lasted until his twenty-fourth year. His willful and wanton disregard for all that is right and holy led him into a life plagued with despair, dangers at sea, abuse, public floggings, destitution, depression, near drownings and miraculous escapes. Newton's misfortunes were largely the result of his own chooseing___ except, that is, for the miraculous escapes.
On one occasion Newton became employed by a slave trader in North Africa. Newton soon fell sick, was unable to care for himself, and nearly starved to death. He was so ill that the slaves in chains pitied him, shareing their meager portions with him. Yet, he still remained stubbornly wicked. and in his degeneracy tried to influence others to live as he did.
During those years Newton often entered into a state of spiritual awakening. Consequently those times were short-lived. and he invariably lapsed into a more wicked and loathsome direction.
Even in his youth he became, almost inexplicably, the captain of a slave ship, landing at least one load of his human cargo in Charleston, South Carolina. It is reported that at times he was so wretched that even his crew regarded him as a little more than an animal. Once he fell overboard and his ship's crew refused to drop a boat to him. Instead they threw a harpoon at him, with which they dragged him back into the ship. He seemed oblivious to the plight of the poor black souls chained in the hold of his ship.
A harrowing experience at sea was used of the Lord to cause young Newton to seriously consider his standing before a holy God. After being at sea for several months with a load of lumber, livestock and beeswax, the ship ran into a violent storm. So severe was the gale that the otherwise seaworthy vessel was in danger of sinking. When the livestock were washed overboard, the crew tied themselves to the ship to keep from being swept into the sea. For four weeks, because of damage to the ship, the sailors despaired of life. Most of their waking hours were spent at the pumps to lighten the ship of water she had taken on. Rations were so low the men feared starvation. When they finally reached a port in Ireland, Newton began a sincere effort to become right with God.
Sometime later, at age twenty-three, Newton found himself on a small island off the coast of North Africa. He had contracted an illness that left him burning with fever, miserable and listless. He wrote, "Weak and almost delirious, I arose from my bed and crept to a secluded part of the island; there I found a renewed liberty to pray. I made no more resolves, but cast myself before the Lord to do with me as He should please. I was enabled to hope and believe in a crucified Savior. The burden was removed from my conscience." From that hour, according to his autobiography, Newton began to improve, both physically and spiritually.
During that experience Newton became acutely aware of four things taught in the Bible.
(1) I must realize that in my present condition I am a sinner before God.
"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).
(2) I cannot save myself from eternal punishment in hell.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement" (Hebrews 9:27).
(3) Christ has paid for my sins and my punishment with His death on the cross.
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)
(4) I must accept His crucifixion as payment for my sins, personally.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
"But as many as receieved Him(Christ), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).

Two years later John Newton married his teenage sweetheart. During the following fourteen years, he continued studying for the ministry, and at age thirty-nine became a pastor in Olney, England. In 1779 Newton published a hymnal "The Olney Hymns" in which he placed 281 of his own works, including "Amazeing Grace." The melody that is so familiar to our nation is a traditional American melody published as early as 1831.
The next time you hear the hauntingly beautiful song "Amazeing Grace," Remember that you too, can experience the same saving grace as John Newton. Infact you can do that right now! Just read over the scriptures listed above, bow your head whereever you are, and ask Jesus to come into your heart, and be your Savior.



Amazeing Grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear; and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear; the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

John Newton died in 1807 at eighty-two years of age. Before his death he left with his executors his epitaph__ written sometime before__ to be etched on a plain marble slab and mounted near his burial place. The first portion as follows:


Title of tune playing is none other than the most Beautiful... "Amazeing Grace"





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