"The position, that, if the body of a people are aggrieved they have a right to redress themselves, must be much limited and modified before I can reconcile it to Scripture. I am not fond of despots; but I think if ever there was one upon earth Nebuchadnezzar was a despot. Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down; Dan. v. 18, 19. Yet Jeremiah declares, that the Lord had given him this despotic power, and had commanded all the nations to serve him. Surely, if you and I had been there (knowing what we know now), we should not have disputed this command, nor have excited the people, however oppressed, to shake off the yoke which God himself had put upon them...."
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"...you and I ...know how much they are to be pitied who are frantic for what they call liberty, and consider not that they are in the most deplorable bondage, the slaves of sin and Satan, and subject to the curse of the law, and the wrath of God. Oh ! for a voice to reach their hearts, that they may know themselves, and seek deliverance from their dreadful thraldom. Satan has many contrivances to amuse them, and to turn their thoughts from their real danger ; and none seem more ensnaring, in the present day, than to engage them in the cry, " Great is the Diana Liberty !" May you and I labour with success to direct them to the one thing which is absolutely needful, and abundantly sufficient. "
These, and other excerpts, taken from a letter by John Newton (author of the famous hymn, Amazing Grace) written in 1793, can be read here.
2 comments:
Wow. Excellent letter. Thanks for sharing the links as well as the extracts. Do you know who D.W. is?
No, do you?
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