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By God's grace, John Newton considered all the degradation of his past a bitter blessing, for the humiliation he suffered created an amazement so dear that it overwhelmed him with praise. And in his gratitude, he gave us the beloved hymn, "Amazing Grace."
Though for years his parishioners resisted his pastorate, Charles Simeon faithfully remained in his post for over half a century. What?s more, he trained an entire generation of pastors and served selflessly on behalf of the poor, saying of his experiences, "Brothers, we must not mind a little suffering..."
Friends abandoned him. Political enemies threatened him. His own poor health plagued him. But William Wilberforce did not lose his childlike joy in Christ. His successful twenty-year struggle to abolish Great Britain's African slave trade only pressured him to persevere all the more.
They were not perfect or without dark seasons. But on the whole, these three men are extraordinary examples of deep and joyful maturity. Their lives were fatal not only to immorality, but to dullness. There was an invincible perseverance because there was invincible joy.
