pes. Falling into the hands of an unscrupulous slave-dealer in
Africa, he himself was reduced practically to the abject condition of a
slave. In his misery he gave himself up to nameless sins. The memory of
his mother, however, and the religious truths which she had implanted in
his soul as a child gave his conscience no peace.

The reading of "The Imitation of Christ," by Thomas a Kempis, also
exerted a profound influence over him, and a terrifying experience in a
storm at sea, together with his deliverance from a malignant fever in
Africa, served to bring the prodigal as a penitent to the throne of
mercy.

After six years as the captain of a slaveship, during which time Newton
passed through many severe struggles in trying to find peace with God
through the observance of a strict moral life, he met on his last voyage
a pious captain who helped to bring him to a truer and deeper faith in
Christ.

For nine years at Liverpool he was closely associated with Whitefield and
the Wesleys, studying the Scriptures in Hebrew and Greek, and
occasionally preaching at religious gatherings of the dissenters. In 1764
he was ordained as curate of Olney, where he formed the famous friendship
with the poet William Cowper that gave to the world so many beautiful
hymns.

It was at Newton's suggestion that the two undertook to write a
hymn-book. The famous collection known as "The Olney Hymns," was the
result of this endeavor. Of the 349 hymns in this book, Cowper is
credited with sixty-six, while Newton wrote the remainder. "How sweet the
Name of Jesus sounds" appeared for the first time in this collection. It
is a hymn of surpassing tenderness, and ranks among the finest in the
English language.

Other notable hymns, by Newton are: "Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,"
"Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat," "While with ceaseless course the
sun," "One there is above all others," "For a season called to part,"
"Safely through another week," "On what has now been sown," "May the
grace of Christ our Saviour," "Though troubles assail us, and dangers
affright," "Day of judgment, day of wonders," and "Glorious things of
thee are spoken."

Newton's life came to a close in London in 1807, after he had served for
twenty-eight years as rector of St. Mary Woolnoth. Among his converts
were numbered Claudius Buchanan, missionary to the East Indies, and
Thomas Scott, the Bible commentator. In 1805, when his eyesight began to
fail and he could no lon