Amazing Newton

I'm looking forward to reading John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace, a new biography of John Newton (which I reserved at the library some time ago). So I was interested to read an interview with Jonathan Aitken, who wrote the biography, on the Christianity Today website. When asked to sum up Newton's legacy, Jonathan Aitken said:

"I seek to alert readers to how colorful, how historically important, how politically effective, and how deeply spiritual a man Newton was. He understood perfectly about getting hold of Wilberforce and mentoring him spiritually.

The story goes that Wilberforce came to see Newton to say, "Mr. Newton, I think I want to go into the church." Newton said, "No, no, Mr. Wilberforce, stay where you are and serve God in Parliament."

...

It's often said there would have been no abolition of the slave trade without William Wilberforce, but it's absolutely fair to say there would have been no spiritually motivated William Wilberforce as a determined campaigner if it hadn't been for the friendship and mentoring of John Newton."