Sinclair Ferguson

Another person that Newton mentions is almost at the opposite end of the spectrum, and he gives him a Latin name too.

He's called Mr. Humanus.

He's a people person.

He's the kind of person, as is Mrs. Humanus, who is just all over new visitors to the church welcoming them.

So what is it about Mr. Humanus?

He's gregarious, he's friendly.

But here's the problem.

There's a kind of seam of inconsistency in his Christian life.

John Newton captures it like this.

He says, if you trusted Mr. Humanus with your gold, there would be no risk at all.

It would be perfectly safe.

With money, he's a model of integrity.

But, writes Newton, entrust him with a secret, and you put your secret into the public domain.

He just can't keep it to himself.

Some time ago I was having dinner with some Christian friends, and at one point they were interested in something that had happened in my life when I was a teenager, and I said to them, I'll tell you what it is as long as you promise never to tell anyone.

Promise me?

You know, none of them promised.

They were all mature Christians.

Most of them were pastors.

And come to think about it, I think most of them had read some of John Newton's letters.