Young William Wilberforce: heir of extraordinary fortune, socialite a la perfection, member of Parliament, and the Prime Minister’s best friend. Easy to write him off as hopeless, yet he never was beyond God’s reach. Don’t miss this episode as we witness the greatest miracle of all— a changed heart.

<p>Young William Wilberforce: heir of extraordinary fortune, socialite a la perfection, member of Parliament, and the Prime Minister’s best friend. Easy to write him off as hopeless, yet he never was beyond God’s reach. Don’t miss this episode as we witness the greatest miracle of all— a changed heart.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Rhonda Grakov

Great in God's Sight Season 1

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

Mark: One Young Man


Hello and welcome to Greating God's Sight, the podcast that explores underrated heroes. We're so glad you've joined us for this bonus episode entitled William Wilberforce, The Great Change. Please be sure to subscribe and visit our website at thegreatpodcast.org. That's thegreatpodcast.org. Thanks for listening!

It was a frigid December day in London. The streets were shrouded in their customary veil of fog and mist. A young gentleman walked hurriedly along the cobblestones, lost in thought. His pace betrayed nervousness and anxiety, and even from a distance it was obvious he was ill at ease. Although he was of diminutive, almost dwarf-like size, his handsome outfit and polished appearance hinted at great wealth and high class.

With a hasty glance about him, he rounded the corner and stepped into a quieter street. Reaching the house, his courage seemed to flee. Turning on his heel, he paced up and down the street once and then twice. At last, summoning all his nerve, he resolutely marched up the stairs and knocked. In a moment, the door swung wide open.

The Reverend John Newton stepped outside and stood face to face with William Wilberforce. As Newton drew him inside, Wilberforce's mind replayed the astonishing series of events that had brought him, the youngest member of Parliament and best friend of the Prime Minister, to the dorsal of John Newton, the well-known Methodist minister and writer of the hymn Amazing Grace. Wilberforce, or Wilber, as his friends had dubbed him, had been close to Newton as a little boy, but that felt like a lifetime ago. Wilbur had been only 10 years old when his father died suddenly. His ailing mother shipped him off to London in the care of his Uncle John and Aunt Hannah, who, like the rest of the family, were immensely wealthy, but, unlike the rest of the family, were devoted Methodists.

Had Wilbur's mother known this beforehand, she would almost have preferred to send her only son to Hades than to his aunt and uncle. But happily for Wilbur in his future, she did not know. He spent 2 wonderful years in London with them, where he embraced their practical Christian faith and interacted with all sorts of fascinating people, among them John Newton. With a wry smile, he remembered how intrigued he had been by Newton's stories of the sea, of Africa and the hideous slave trade, and of his miraculous conversion. When Wilbur's mother realized how much Methodism he was absorbing, and how devoted to Christ he had become, she was incensed.

Without warning, she caught the next stage to London and promptly brought him home to Hull. It was 1 of the most traumatic experiences of his short life. He had grown to love his aunt and uncle dearly, as they loved him, and to be suddenly snatched away from the Christian world where he had learned so much was almost too heavy to bear. At first, Wilbur was utterly determined to hold fast to his faith and principles. But there is only so much a twelve-year-old can do against equally adamant, authoritative family members.

Wilbur's enormously rich grandfather declared, "'If he turns Methodist, he shall not have a sixpence of mine.'" He was strictly forbidden to attend any church, even the Anglican service, and as the months and years rolled by, his mother put him through a rigorous sequence of never-ending balls and banquets, dinner parties and dances, card games and theater—anything to bleach the stain of religion from his heart and mind. Although young Wilbur put up an admirable resistance, little by little his mother's labors to convert him to the world proved effective. From his earliest years, he had a winning, effervescent personality that sparkled and charmed all who knew him. This, paired with his marvelous speaking and singing voice, made him the darling of high society. By the time he decided to attend Cambridge at age 17, Wilbur had been transformed into a perfectly polished, high-spirited young gentleman with 0 interest in God or the Bible.

In college, his sharp mind allowed him to breeze through exams with only the mildest pretense of studying, leaving him free to pursue a social butterfly existence. His magnetic personality and extravagant generosity continued to attract people to him, and 1 Cambridge pal would later say, there was no 1 at all like him for powers of entertainment. Although he was small enough to almost fit in the category of dwarves, No 1 seemed to notice. All seemed completely blinded by his wit and brilliance. By the age of 20, Wilbur had stumbled upon the bright idea of going into politics and becoming a member of Parliament.

He had fallen in with a certain William Pitt, another brilliant fellow who was embarking on a similar path, and the 2 twenty-year-olds decided to do it together. So on his twenty-first birthday, William Wilberforce, 3 months Pitt's junior, was elected the youngest member of the House of Commons. And 3 years later, when they were 24, William Pitt conquered the summit and became the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Great Britain. The 2 Williams were on a roll. Wilbur had joined 5 gentlemen's clubs in London and was fully relishing the high life.

He had earned the reputation of being the wittiest man in England, and with his powerful position in Parliament, and the Prime Minister as his closest ally, he had the world at his feet. However, in the winter of 1785, everything changed. That is, nothing changed externally, but nonetheless, nothing was ever the same again. Wilbur and his good friend Isaac Milner, a man of gigantic frame and intellect, were traveling through France together. Wilbur had randomly picked up a book from his cousin, The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, by Philip Doddridge, and as they jolted through the White Frosted Alps, the 2 men dissected, discussed, and debated their way through its contents from cover to cover.

God must have beamed as he looked upon the scene, for this was only part 1 of his plan to draw the young socialite and politician back to his fold. Though he did not then admit it, Doddridge's book stirred something in Wilbur's soul he had forgotten was there. As they continued their journey, he and Milner next tackled the Greek New Testament in similar fashion, carefully reading and evaluating each phrase and idea. The Apostle Paul wrote that faith comes by hearing the word of God. By the time the travelers reached the end of Revelation, the faith that had been quenched in Wilbur as a teenager was rekindled into an irresistible flame.

The realization of his wretchedness without God descended upon him in full force, and he now began rising very early in the morning to spend time in contemplation and prayer. However, instead of experiencing peace and relief in confessing his sins and recommitting his life to Christ, Wilbur's torment grew daily. His resolve to follow Jesus was heartfelt, but he could not clearly make out the path forward. Did God wish him to forsake his seat in Parliament, along with his social standing and deep friendship with William Pitt? What's more, Would Pitt even be willing to stay friends with a Methodist?

Did God want him to cut all ties with the world and live a secluded, monk-like existence? Wrung with anguish, Wilbur could see no other way and decided he must write his best friend a letter and be transparent about his new convictions. With some trepidation he had composed a message to William Pitt. It was nerve-wracking, waiting for a reply, but a week later Wilbur held an envelope from Pitt in his trembling hand. It was a remarkable and very touching letter.

In it, the Prime Minister assured his friend that his sentiments of friendship and affection towards him were engraved on his heart, never to be effaced or weakened. However, Pitt also expressed his doubts in the wisdom of Wilbur's plan to withdraw from society and so render his virtues and talents useless to himself and mankind. In his own words, surely the principles and practice of Christianity are simple and lead not to meditation only, but to action. Pitt's warm response had put Wilbur at some ease, but also left him even more perplexed. Clearly, his closest friend was encouraging him to bloom where he was planted and remain in public life, while allowing it to become a channel through which to express his newfound faith.

Pitt's idea seemed sound, but Wilbur was not at all convinced it was God's will. He needed a fellow Christian to unburden himself to, but who? Just then, Wilbur remembered the aging sea-captain-turned-minister from his carefree childhood with Aunt Hannah and Uncle John. In his agony of mind, he swallowed his fear and decided to call on John Newton. Now he was in Newton's parlor, laying his heart open before the old pastor.

When he finished his tale, Wilbur braced himself for the verdict he was sure would follow—leave Parliament and politics altogether. It never came. Instead, with wisdom from above, Newton gently reassured the distressed young man that although God did not often call a Christian to be a statesman, the 2 characters were not incompatible. He urged Wilbur to consider what God's object might be for him in Parliament and to use his position of influence and trust to glorify God and bless humanity. After that meeting, Wilbur wrote in his journal, When I came away, I found my mind in a calm, tranquil state, more humbled and looking more devoutly up to God.

The looming question that now remained was, what was God's purpose for him to fulfill in Parliament? Join us next week for part 2 of William Wilberforce's thrilling story. Thank you for listening to Great and God's Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God. Each episode aims to draw insight from the life of 1 individual.

While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself. Please remember to hit the subscribe button And share this episode with your friends via text or social media. You never know who might be encouraged! Until next time, we wish you God's blessing as you

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Great in God's Sight Season 1

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

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Other Teachings in Series

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Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

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Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

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Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

10m

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

9m

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

10m

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

10m

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

12m

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

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Mark: One Young Man

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