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"Superb Grace" may be a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725-1807), printed in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are doable irrespective of the sins individuals commit and that the soul will be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, "Superb Grace" is one of the most recognizable songs within the English-speaking world. Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any explicit spiritual conviction but his life's path was formed by a selection of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually collaborating within the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel therefore severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a flash that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more till he quit going to sea altogether and commenced studying theology.