Northwestern Bible School - Scroll Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 11 text:

he Sunday morning congregation rises and begins to drone: Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, Chat saved a wretch like me.” Che good parishioners would not be quite so spiritless and detached if they knew the strange story, which forms a background for this hymn, John ‘Hewton, the author of Amazing Grace”, was bom in Condon in 1725. His faithful, Christian mother died when he was seven years old, and John went to sea with his father, at the age of eleven. tOicked sailors and infidel literature soon turned him into a lawless, carousing renegade, and his life resolved itself into a series of harrowing ad¬ ventures, which would put to shame the most fantastic fiction. Jie deserted the navy, but after being captured, he was flogged at the mast and degraded. Jiis wild, reckless escapades led him lower and lower, until he became the miserable bondman of an unscrupulous slave trader, and wallowed in indescribable sin. At last, in hts wretch¬ edness, he remembered hts mother’s teaching and began to read, Che Imitation of Christ”, a deeply spiritual book by Chomas A’ ' Kempis. After two miraculous escapes from death, he determined to turn from his sins and try to please God by living an upright, moral life. !He became the master of a slave ship and spent sir years in learn¬ ing the hitter lesson that, in God’s sight, All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”. At the end of this period, another captain brought him to a saving knowledge of the Cord Jesus Christ. After his conversion, John Newton left the sea, and devoted him¬ self to preaching and hymn writing. Jle died at the age of eighty-two -the loved and honored rector of St. CDary IDoolroth. In the light of this brief record, consider the testimony which he left us in his beautiful hymn. Chro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ' Cis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home.”

Page 10 text:

Ev ' 6- r T k ' ' ' -- s Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, Chat saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, LDas blind, but now I see. I

Page 12 text:

' But all And lip Ghei at Ts 3 OK th A through the mountains, thunder viv’n, from the rocky steep, ose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n, ! I have found my sheep!’ angels echoed around the throne, juice, for the Lord brings back His own!’