By the grace of God I am what I am
Two or three years before the death of that eminent servant of Christ, John Newton, when his sight was become so dim that he was no longer able to read, an aged brother in the ministry called on him to breakfast. Family prayer followed, and the portion of scripture for the day was read to him. In it occurred the verse, "By the grace of God I am what I am." It was Mr. Newton's custom on these occasions to make a short familiar exposition on some passage read. After the reading he paused for some moments, and then said, "I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. Soon, very soon, shall I put off mortality, and with it all sin and imperfection. Yet though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was — a slave to sin and satan; and I can heartily join with the Apostle, and acknowledge, 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' Let us pray." (The Christian Pioneer Volume XI (1857), edited by Joseph Foulkes Winks, page 84)
Two or three years before the death of that eminent servant of Christ, John Newton, when his sight was become so dim that he was no longer able to read, an aged brother in the ministry called on him to breakfast. Family prayer followed, and the portion of scripture for the day was read to him. In it occurred the verse, "By the grace of God I am what I am." It was Mr. Newton's custom on these occasions to make a short familiar exposition on some passage read. After the reading he paused for some moments, and then said, "I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. Soon, very soon, shall I put off mortality, and with it all sin and imperfection. Yet though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was — a slave to sin and satan; and I can heartily join with the Apostle, and acknowledge, 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' Let us pray." (The Christian Pioneer Volume XI (1857), edited by Joseph Foulkes Winks, page 84)
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