original_query: What changes did John Newton make in his life after his near-death experience at sea?
query: What changes did John Newton make in his life after his near-death experience at sea?
answer: After his near-death experience, Newton had a spiritual conversion, started reading religious literature, accepted evangelical Christianity, and gave up profanity, gambling, and drinking.  While he initially continued working in the slave trade, he developed sympathy for the enslaved people and later became a prominent abolitionist.