God hates sin and loves His people. If this is true, then He would not allow their sin to continue if He could not use it for a more perfect purpose.

As he writes to a friend, Newton continues to speak of his own struggles in the Christian life. In this letter, he uses the imagery of melody and harmony. He feels that his actions are the melody, and his thoughts and motives the harmony—or “disharmony.”

In this fourth letter to a nobleman, John Newton writes about Christians and the gap between what they desire to do and what they actually do. He reminds us that this gap is common to all believers and that the resulting frustration leads us to long for perfection in eternity.

In this third “Letter to a Nobleman,” Newton considers what it will be like to live with an imagination and understanding that are not affected by sin. In this life he is frustrated by how the weaknesses of these two faculties inhibit his ability to understand truth—especially truth about God. But it will not be this way in eternity.

In this pastoral letter, Newton speaks of the the sad (but common) disparity between a Christian’s knowledge and his practice. Newton has clearly thought deeply about these things and has experienced this discrepancy in his own life.

In this pastoral letter, John Newton continues a conversation he had with a nobleman. The two men had talked about the initial zeal that is often seen in new Christians and why it tends to fade over time. Newton offers insights into a common source of discouragement for Christians.