Music and the Bible

Handwritten Letter from John Newton to Mrs. S. Gardiner

By: John Newton

Collection ID

PPR.002238

Type

Papers

Date

1776

Geography

England

Language

English

Medium

Ink on Paper

Dimensions

9.1 × 3.5 in. (23.1 × 8.9 cm)

Exhibit Location

Not on View

This letter was written by John Newton (1725–1807) to Mrs. S. Gardiner in 1776. Newton, best known for his hymn “Amazing Grace,” was the curate of Olney and wrote over 200 hymns during his lifetime. The text indicates that this letter was the first in their correspondence, as Newton notes the need for her address when she next writes and that he “cannot promise to be [a] very punctual correspondent having many engagements.” Throughout his letter, he writes of God’s grace and how God is known to us, writing, “Thus God is made known to us by the Gospel in the endearing views of a savior, a shepherd, a Husband and a friend.”

Written in 1776 by John Newton, Olney, England; Ownership assumed in 1776 by Mrs. S. Gardiner, Leasingham, England. Acquired by 2010 by Gene Albert (Christian Heritage Museum), Hagerstown, Maryland; Privately purchased in 2010 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2017 to National Christian Foundation (later The Signatry), under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

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