1779 July 11 My dear Madam,   My judgement tells me that the Lord directs our steps, and that it is a great mercy to us, that he to whom all consequences are present, will put a negative upon our proposals, when we aim at what would not be upon the whole expedient. I endeavoured to apply this doctrine to my own use, when I was prevented waiting upon you at Leasingham. Your letter confirms the point. [1] It was better both for us and for you, that the Lord who led us safely to Melton, should by his providence say to us, as he speaks to the waves of the sea, Hitherto shall thou come but no farther. [2] It was not his will that we should meet at that time, whether he will appoint us to meet at all I know not. If we do I trust the interview shall be for good; if we do not, it will not be necessary. He is All-sufficient to you and to us. May his holy will take place, and may we acquiesce yea rejoice in it, and lay down every thought of choosing or contriving for ourselves, at his feet, casting all our care upon him, because we are assured he careth for us. [3] If not upon earth, I trust we shall meet in heaven.   I would join with you in praising the Lord who so mercifully preserved you and the rest of your family, from the infection which was so long under your roof. It shows that diseases have their commission, and that under his protection we are safe in the most alarming circumstances. I would join you likewise in concern and prayer for your maid-servant. Alas how prone are we to be proud of our understandings, yet the tenure by which we hold them and every other temporal blessing is exceedingly precarious –     A fever or a blow can shake     Our wisdoms boasted rule;     And of the brightest genius make     A madman, or a fool. [4]   The grace and favour of God, are the only blessings of which if we are once truly possessed, we can never be deprived. Romans 8:38,39. [5] Under all possible changes his love remains unchangeable, I shall be very glad to hear that your servant begins to recover the powers which have been so shaken and disturbed by the violence of the fever.   The Olney Hymns have been delayed longer than I expected, but I think they will appear in the papers very soon. They have been printed off near a fortnight, and I suppose will be published as soon as a tolerable number are bound and fit for sale – Johnson, No. 72 Pauls Church Yard, and Buckland in Pater Noster Row are the Booksellers. [6] I am in hopes that some of the hymns will be suitable to your experience, and prove not unacceptable to you. As they were written chiefly for the poor and afflicted of the flock, you will not find them very elegant compositions, at least not in my part of them.   The Lord has done much for you, and given you the dispositions and desires to which his precious promises belong, but I could wish to see you possessed of the peace which the Gospel is designed to bestow. Your complaints, so far as they express a spirit of poverty and humiliation are right; so far as they fill you with fear, distrust and discomfort they are wrong. The questions to be considered are, Whether Christ came to save sinners or righteous? Whether he saves wholly, or but in part, and that something lies upon us to contribute to our own salvation? Whether his blood or our gracious attainments be the proper ground of believing? I know you would in words answer these questions according to my wishes, and yet your feelings and experience do not fully accord with your better judgement. Though the Lord has given you a taste of the Spirit of adoption, yet you sometimes speak more the language of a servant than of a child, yea you speak of your Master, as if he were a hard Master. My dear Madam, we are not under the law but under grace; the evils you mourn under, the fruits of a fallen nature which you must feel while you are here, are your sickness – and Jesus has made himself known to you, and taken your case in hand, as a Physician. He will not be angry with you or forsake you because you are sick. I wish you to cherish large and honourable thoughts of his compassion and tenderness, and not indulge a fear as if he either would or could deal with you according to your deserts. Believe (the Scripture warrants you) that the tenderness which you feel for your infant child, is but a shadow of tenderness compared to that which he bears towards you. When he bestows upon you salvation as a free gift without money or price, why should you be grieved that you are not rich enough to purchase it? Shall we put it from us because we have no equivalent to offer? Or why should we be unwilling to be indebted to him? Depend upon it one half of your trouble springs from a cause which perhaps you little suspect. May I venture to name it? I mean, self-righteousness. Perhaps you are ready to say, “Surely whatever I may be else, I am not self-righteous for I know I have no righteousness of my own.” That is the very thing I mean, you know you have no righteousness of your own, and therefore you are distressed, and therefore at times you almost refuse to believe; you think you ought to be better than you are, and if you were so, you suppose you should be more comfortable. That comparative goodness, that something which you find you have not now, would if you had it, encourage you to believe. If so – you would put it in the place which alone is due to the blood and death of Jesus. At least it would divide the honour with him. One foot of your hope would stand upon the foundation God has laid in Zion, the other would stand upon your consciousness of being better than you was formally. This would be like attempting to stand with one foot upon the land, and the other upon the water. No, Madam you will never think yourself better, in your own esteem you will be lower and lower. But if you believe that the power of Jesus extends to all cases, and his love to all persons without exception, who put their trust in him, and settle it in your heart, that such blood, can cleanse your sin, and such an Advocate can make your cause good, you may be happy at once. You will be so in the Lord’s time, [the rest of this letter is missing]   [Final ms page/s missing at source, date assumed from Newton's diary, shorthand entries] Endnotes:    [1] On Sunday 20 June 1779 Newton noted in his diary: ‘My not going to Leasingham from Melton, was at the time a disappointment, but a letter from Mrs G_r[Gardiner] informs me that had I gone, we should have been in the house when there was a dangerous putrid fever there. May I learn to see thy hand, and to submit to thy will in everything.’ [2] Job 38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? [3] 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. [4] Verse 4 of Newton’s hymn on Ecclesiastes 1:2, ‘Vanity of life’, Olney Hymns, Book 1, Hymn 54. See www.johnnewton.org/hymns/vanity for the context. [5] Romans 8:38,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Joseph Johnson (1738-1809) of St Paul’s Churchyard and James Buckland (c.1710-1790) of Paternoster Row – Olney Hymns was printed and also sold by William Oliver (d, 1780) of Bartholomew Close. Acknowledgements: Morgan Museum and Library MA 733.10

14/05/2026