It was through his correspondence that Newton fulfilled his distinctive work as ‘the letter writer par excellence of the Evangelical Revival’. His grasp of Scripture and deep personal experience, his many friends (among them, George Whitefield, William Cowper and William Wilberforce), his manifold trials, his country pastorate, his strong, clear, idiomatic style — all these factors combined to prepare the author of How sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds, for the exercise of his special gift.

These practical letters cover a wide variety of subjects and aim ‘to conform the believer to Christ’.