(upbeat music) - I'm standing where tidal
shores of the River Thames in London were once used
as a place of execution. This is the land of Execution Dock where pirates were
condemned to the gallows in the 15th to 19th centuries. Today, Wapping is a well-known district in East London. A short walk away from Tower
Bridge and the Tower of London. This place has a rich history of pirates, explorers and sailors. But there's another
fascinating story of the sea that comes from this
maritime suburb in London. Wapping was the birthplace of a man whose life was hardened
by obstinacy, arrogance and deliberate disobedience. After many years at sea,
and mastering slave ships that transported thousands of slaves, John Newton found himself
depressed and totally ashamed of all he had done. Some time later he wrote
a poem that has become the best known and most
loved song in all the world. It's a heart-felt song that was written because one man's life was changed. He finally found inner
peace and happiness. What changed his life? Well, we'll find out what
happened in today's programme "The Slave Trader: Amazing Grace". (upbeat music) The golden age of piracy
from 1650 to 1730, inspires images of buried treasure, swashbuckling duels and
sailing the high seas. It was the age of colonial
expansion and trade and pirates roamed the seas,
looting valuable cargo ships. Many pirates were experienced sailors who were either forced or
chose to join the pirate ships. Some of the most famous English pirates became household names, like Henry Morgan, William Captain Kidd, Calico Jack Rackham, Bartholomew Roberts and
the fearsome Blackbeard or Edward Teach. Another well-known English
pirate was William Dampier. He was a privateer or a
pirate who had permission from his king to attack
other country's ships. He was also an explorer and
navigator in the late 1600s who sailed far and wide. These stairs, the Wapping Old Stairs, lead down to Execution
Dock, the site where pirates were tried and hanged
by the Admiralty Caught for over 400 years. The gibbet, or hanging gallows,
is constructed off shore beyond the low water mark. The pirate's bodies would
be left hanging on display until they had been submerged
three times by the tide. It still stands here as
a reminder of bygone days when pirates such as Captain
Kidd faced their end here. Another famous place that
is of particular interest to Australians and New
Zealanders, is the Bells Inn. Right next to Execution Dock. The inn was run by Samuel
Batts, whose daughter Elizabeth, married James Cook, the
explorer, navigator and captain in the Royal Navy, who stayed in the inn and is most famous for
his discovery and charting of New Zealand the east
coast of Australia. This dockside suburb of
London, on the River Thames, has had a strong maritime
character for centuries. In the 1700s, it was a place
for shipwrights, sailors, mast-makers, and all other
trades that supported the sailors and seafarers. One of these shipmasters
was John Newton Sr. And on the fourth of August, 1725, a son, John, was born to
him and his wife Elizabeth here in Wapping. Elizabeth was religious and taught her son Christian
principles and values. The family lived happily
here until tragedy struck. John was nearly seven when
his mother passed away from tuberculosis. He was heartbroken. John spent the next two
years at boarding school before going to live with
his father and his new wife at Aveley in Essex. John had become undisciplined and unruly and so at the young age of 11, his father took him to sea
to start an apprenticeship on a merchant navy ship. His first full voyage was on
one of his father's ships. Newton found his father distant and aloof. And this troubled the young Newton. He made five more voyages
through his teenage years, until his father retired in 1742. Back on land, Newton worked
in a merchant's office until he lost his job,
due to what was described as unsettled behaviour and
impatience of restraint. This headstrong disobedience
became the pattern of young John's behaviour and lifestyle. In 1743, while on his way
home from visiting a friend, he stopped at a Wapping pub. He was captured and press
ganged into the naval service aboard the HMS Harwich. At this time, when a navy ship
didn't have enough sailors to operate the ship, a
group of the ship's sailors would go into the nearby
pubs and force the young men into working on the ship. Although Newton eventually
became a midshipman aboard the HMS Harwich, he rebelled
against the discipline of the Royal Navy and tried to dessert. He was caught, put in irons and punished in front of the crew of 350. Newton was stripped to his
waist and tied to the grating where he received a
flogging of a dozen lashes and then demoted to a common seaman. Despite this experience,
he remained arrogant and insubordinate, eventually
convinced his superiors to discharge him to the Pegasus, a goods and slave trading
ship bound for West Africa. Newton didn't get along with
the crew of the Pegasus. And so, in 1745, they
left him in West Africa with the slave trader
named Clowe who owned a lemon tree plantation on
an island off the coast. But Clowe treated him cruelly
and he soon found himself as the slave to Clowe's African mistress. She abused and mistreated Newton as much as the other slaves. Newton was now a servant of slaves. His clothes soon turned
to rags, he was beaten and forced to beg for
food just to survive. It was one of the lowest
times in his life. Hearing of his plight,
Newton's father asked a friend to search for his son. Newton was found in 1747 and began the long homeward journey to England. Off the coast of Donegal in Ireland, the ship was overtaken by an
enormous storm and almost sank. Before the storm, Newton
had begun reading the Bible. In desperation and fear of drowning, he cried out to God for help. Although he did admit later
that he didn't consider himself a believer in the
full sense of the word. But after this experience, he did try to avoid swearing and gambling. But surprisingly, despite
his recent experiences, Newton refused to give up slave trading. He still continued to serve as a mate and then as a captain on
a number of slave ships. And all this happened
before he was 23 years old. The transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation of
enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas from
the 16th to the 19th centuries. The Portuguese were the first
to engage in this trade, with the slave voyage to Brazil, and other European
countries soon followed. At this time in history, these
western European countries were vying with each other
to create overseas empires. Ship owners and crew regarded the slaves as mere cargo, to be
transported to the Americas as quickly as possible. The conditions aboard the ships were horrible and disgusting. Newton faced mounting
criticism for continuing in the slave trade after
professing to be a Christian. But he excused his actions
by saying that slave trading was an accepted practise of that time and there were thousands of
slave holders in the colonies who were profiting from the slave trade. Newton continued in the slave trade as the ship's captain. He knew his behaviour was evil and cruel and his conscience troubled him. Newton became increasingly
disgusted with the slave trade and abhorred his role in it. But even though he'd left the slave trade, he couldn't get rid of his guilt. He felt terrible about all
the bad things he'd done. He just couldn't forget
that he'd taken thousands of people to a life of slavery and ruined their lives forever. He couldn't forget that
he showed no compassion for his cargo, for these people. He chained them below the
decks to prevent suicides. The slaves were laid side
by side to save space. Row after row, one after another, until his vessel squeezed
in as many as 600 Africans. And if a slave became
ill during the voyage, he was tossed overboard to prevent the infection from spreading. John Newton realised that
he'd done terrible things and that he was nothing but a wretch and he felt wretched, filled with guilt. In his desperation to find inner peace, he turned to religion and
began studying the Bible along with the writings of
the reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther. As he read the Bible,
he made the discovery that changed his life forever. He discovered grace and
it's absolutely amazing. He discovered that God
doesn't stop loving you when you make mistakes and mess up. Even when you're ridiculously bad. And you make mistakes over and over again, God won't stop loving us. God understands our failures
and He loves us anyway. That's grace, that's God's gift. Here's what it says in
Ephesians chapter two and verse eight. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this
is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. It finally dawned on
Newton that God forgives us for the mistakes we've
made, regardless of how big, bad or ugly they may be. And it doesn't matter
how many times we've made the same mistake, God still
forgives us completely and thoroughly. John Newton realised that God hates sin but He loves the sinner. God hates mistakes, but He
loves the people who make them. We don't deserve God's
love and forgiveness, but God loves us anyway and
will never stop loving us. That's God's amazing grace. It's a uniquely Christian concept, and it's a theme found only in the Bible. And it changed Newton's life forever. Finally he had inner peace. His guilt was gone. You see, the Christian life
isn't a mistake-free life, but it can be a guilt-free life. Newton was so overwhelmed
by this amazing grace, that he wanted to share the
good news with everyone. A sense of service began to grow in him. And Newton studied to become a minister. After several years of
intense study and commitment, he quit his job in Liverpool
and accepted a position as the church curate
in the Anglican Church of St. Peter and Paul in
Olney, Buckinghamshire. Olney is a market town about
90 kilometres north of London. And is surrounded by
beautiful English countryside. It's famous for it's annual pancake race, which first began in
1445, when a housewife, hearing the church bell, ran
outside with her frying pan, tossing her pancake so it
wouldn't stick to the pan as she ran to the church. The tradition has continued ever since and today on Shrove Tuesday, each year, the women of Olney
dress in a kitchen apron and headscarf, like the first housewife, and carrying a frying
pan flip their pancake as they run from the marketplace to the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, a distance of over 400 metres. Newton arrive in Olney in 1764 and took up his position as minister of this very church,
St. Peter and St. Paul. He received a meagre wage of
60 Pounds a year to live on, the equivalent of about $20,000 today. At that time, Olney was a village with a population of about 2,500 people whose main cottage
industry was lace making. They lived in the courts and
alleyways off High Street, most of the population
were illiterate and poor. And sadly, as cottage industries waned during the industrial revolution, many of the lace makers
here faced starvation. This troubled John Newton
and this changed man, who in the past had treated
humans as mere goods to buy and sell, now felt great compassion for those in need. He desperately wanted to help. A wealthy merchant, John Thornton, agreed to supplement John
Newton's meagre stipend with an additional 200 Pounds a year, so he could help the poor in the area with food and basic supplies. John soon became known
for his pastoral care of the people in Olney. And also as a powerful preacher. Newton's preaching was unique at this time as he shared many of his own struggles and experiences with his congregation. He shared with them how he struggled with the burden of guilt,
carried due to his involvement in the slave trade and
mistakes of the past. He shared the peace he had
found in his belief in God and the assurance he had been forgiven. Soon, many people came to hear him preach and a gallery had to
be added to the church to accommodate the crowds
that came to hear him speak. In 1767, three years after Newton arrived, William Cowper, the poet, moved to Olney. Cowper was one of the most
popular poets of his time and is credited with
changing the direction of 18th century poetry by
writing about everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. For the New Year's
sermon a few years later, Newton focused on the importance
of expressing gratefulness to God for His love and mercy. He spoke of the New Testament stories of the prodigal son and the
healing of the blind man. And ending with his own
personal story of redemption and acceptance of the grace of God. He wrote a hymn to illustrate the sermon on this New Year's Day in 1773. It was a powerful, personal expression of his own life's experience. He opened with the now
famous words, "Amazing grace, "how sweet the sound that
saved a wretch like me." It's not known if there
was any music accompanying the verses, because at the time, hymns didn't have specific
music connected to them, the way they do today. The song was first printed in 1779, in Newton and Cowper's "Olney Hymns". Newton combined 280 of his
own hymns with 68 of Cowper's in what was to become the
popular "Olney Hymns". The most famous of these
hymns was first called "Faith's Review and Expectation". Although it's not known
exactly how, the song made it's way to the United States and it did become very popular there. It became known by the
title "Amazing Grace". In 1835 William Walker, an
American Baptist song leader, joined the verses with the
tune named "New Britain", which is the melody we
all know and love today. ♪ Amazing grace ♪
Walker's tune book of songs "Southern Harmony" was enormously popular and sold over 600,000
copies when the population of America was only around 20 million. The sixth verse of "Amazing Grace", which begins with "When we've been "there ten thousand years,"
was not written by Newton, but was added by Harriet Beecher Stowe, who used this song in
her anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin". ♪ But now ♪ The song with it's simple
message that forgiveness and redemption are possible, regardless of the sins committed, touched the heart of
many of it's listeners. The message that you can be
delivered from your struggles and despair through
the great mercy of God, is a message of hope. Though a spiritual song, it
even occasionally appears on popular music charts. It's estimated that it is performed more than 10 million times every year. In 1779, after 16 years at Olney, John Newton was invited
to become the rector of St. Mary Woolnoth Church
on Lombard Street, London. John became popular amongst Christians of many denominations. And many people came to
hear his sermons about God and His amazing grace. St. Mary Woolnoth is a magnificent church in the baroque style. It's one of the beautiful
Queen Anne churches, designed by the then-famous
architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Today, the church is still a
place of prayer and reflection. Young Christians and people
struggling with their faith came to St. Mary's to speak to John Newton and seek his advice. Among them were well-known social figures, including a young William Wilberforce, a member of parliament
and a philanthropist. Newton became a mentor to Wilberforce and had a great influence on him, especially regarding the
evils of the slave trade. Wilberforce was seriously
considering leaving politics, but Newton convinced him
to remain in parliament and serve God there. Wilberforce took his advice
and remained in politics. He dedicated his life to fighting the slave trade in parliament. Newton and Wilberforce
collaborated in the fight to abolish slavery, and 34
years after Newton retired from the slave trade, he
published a forceful pamphlet "Thoughts Upon the Slave
Trade" in which he described his remorse for his
involvement in this evil and cruel trade. Newton had copies sent
to every MP, and lived to see the British government pass the Slave Trade Act in 1807
that prohibited slave trade in the British empire and ultimately lead to the Slave Abolition Act in 1833. Plagued by ill health
and failing eyesight, Newton died on the 21st of
December, 1807, in London. He was buried beside beside his wife in St. Mary Woolnoth in London. But later they were reinterred at the St. Peter and St.
Paul Olney Church, in 1893. And so John Newton, the slave trader, who experienced God's amazing grace, is buried here beside his wife
in the churchyard at Olney. He's memorialised by
his self-penned epitaph before his death. It reads, "John Newton,
clerk, once an infidel "and libertine, a servant
of slaves in Africa, "was by the rich mercy
of our Lord and Saviour, "Jesus Christ, preserved,
restored, pardoned "and appointed to preach the
faith he had long laboured "to destroy, near 16 years,
as curator of this parish "and 28 years at rector
of St. Mary Woolnoth." John Newton described himself
in one simple sentence, "I am a great sinner, but
Christ is a great Saviour." His story gives us all hope. Even the greatest of sinners, can ultimately and meaningfully repent and find forgiveness and inner peace. You see, God doesn't love
you because of who you are of what you've done,
but because of who He is and what He's done. God made you, He loves you and that's it. Nothing changes that. He loves you as much on your bad days as on your good days. His love is not performance-based. God looks at you and
says, "I chose to love you "and nothing will stop me loving you." That's grace and it's absolutely amazing. It not only forgives,
it changes, transforms, rewires everyone who enters
into a relationship with Jesus. If you'd like to experience that grace, and find true inner peace and happiness, why not ask for it right now as we pray? Dear Heavenly Father. We have all made mistakes in life and have done things
that we know are wrong. We are sinners, but we are so thankful that You still love us and forgive us when we accept Jesus and
are sorry for our sins. Thank You for Your amazing grace that saves us, even though
we don't deserve it. Please make Your face shine
on us and grant us peace. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. Amazing grace is the most
popular song ever written. It's sung at least 10 million times around the world every year. Behind it, is a fascinating
story spanning continents, cultures and centuries. It was written by a notorious blasphemer, a rebellious shipman, a slave trader. It's a message from the heart of a man whose life was changed
by his belief in God. A man who found inner peace and happiness through God's grace, amazing grace. If you're facing challenges
in life and would like to experience God's grace
and find inner peace and happiness, then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have,
for all our viewers today. It's the book "Steps to Christ". This book is our gift to
you and is absolutely free. There are no costs or
obligations, whatsoever. This book has brought
hope, peace and happiness to millions of people around the world. So, don't miss this wonderful opportunity to receive the gift we have for you today. Here's the information you need. - [Narrator] Phone or
text us at 0436-333-555 or visit our website, www.tij.tv to request today's free offer and we'll send it to you,
totally free of charge. And with no obligation. So don't delay, call or text
0436-333-555 in Australia. Or 020-422-2042 in New Zealand
to request today's offer. Write to GPO Box 274,
Sydney, New South Wales, 2001, Australia or PO Box 76673, Manakau, Auckland, 2241, New Zealand. So don't delay, call or text
0436-333-555 in Australia or 020-422-2042 in New Zealand. Or visit our website to
request today's offer. Don't delay, call or text us now. - If you've enjoyed today's
journey to London and Olney, in the footsteps of John Newton, and our reflections on
the Bible theme of grace, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another
of life's journeys together. Until then, remember
the ultimate destination of life's journey. Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes. There shall be not death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (upbeat music)
