The Comming to an End

In reading this blog, we hope you have learned the reason why William Wilberforce was so great. He was not just a person who exhibited genuine faith through his trials, faith in god, and impartiality to the slave trade, but rather he was a person who had genuine faith and worked in politics. He had a goal and he didn’t give up until it was completed. As we draw this blog to an end, we hope you will continue to live as William Wilberforce did and to persevere in every goal you have.

– Joy and Sajana–

Lessons learned

 

These are some lessons that I’ve learned through getting to know Wilberforce:

We need to examine our own lives.  We live in a pleasure-loving age, as in Wilberforce’s day, loom was too large for our minds, and affluence threatens all the time to hurt us to the sense of eternal.  We should always remind ourselves of our accountability to God.

As Wilberforce learned in his own conversion there is more to Christianity than intellectual assent to Evangelical truth.  We must look at our own heart and ask “Have I fled for refuge to the only sure ground of hope?”  Then to live every moment and do all things in the light of eternity and for the Glory of God.

-Sajana-

Wilberforce Family

 In April 1797 aged 37, William Wilberforce met Barbara Spooner, a 20 year old woman who shared Wilberforce’s deeply held Christian beliefs. He immediately fell in love and only eight days later he proposed to her and they were married a month later.  Together they had 6 children: William, Robert, Samuel, Henry, and two daughters that were both named Elizabeth, the elder one died later.  William loved his family, and spent long amounts of time with them.  In all families conflicts occur, Wilberforce found himself split between his personal beliefs and loyalty to his friends and family.  In 1827, Wilberforce’s youngest daughter fell in love with a man, Charles Pinney, who came from a family whose wealth came from slavery.  Wilberforce did not know if he should let his daughter be married to a family that was associated with slavery.  Slavery was against Wilberforce’s beliefs.  Slavery: a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant;

 Aren’t we all God’s property?

 Are we not supposed to be in God’s hands? 

 Wilberforce knew slavery was not right.  He didn’t allow his daughter to get married to Pinney, and at the end, Elizabeth moved on and married Reverend J James.  This shows how faithful he is.

-Sajana-

Friends of William Wilberforce

This is a picture of Issac Milner and John Newton. They were great influences to William Wilberforce’s Faith. Issac Milner was an old teacher of Wilberforce  who brought him on a trip that changed his view on religion forever. John Newton  was a person that William Wilberforce looked up to and a person whom he went to for help.

John Newton

Issac Milner

 

 –Joy-

     

The Reality Behind the Slave Trade

Throughout my research I thought it necessary to show you firsthand what the slaves endured. Here are some things that I found.

Here is a picture of a slaves ship plan. You could see that the division of each room on the ship was very tight. Probably only around 4 feet. Imagine yourself locked in a room, with more than 500 people around you, not being able to go to the bathroom, shackled in an uncomfortable position, no personal space, and in pain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are shackles that were used to keep slaves from running away.  The shackles were secured to the slaves ankles, their wrists, and their neck.

 

 

If you were a slave, would you have the courage to fight and endure pain while still having faith in God?

-Joy-

 

Wilberforce’s House

William Wilberforce House

This is a picture of William Wilberforce House. He lived at 23-25 High Street , Hull. I was able to find out that his house was converted into a museum, and admission to his house is supposedly free ! So if anyone wants to go there theres no harm in going because it’s free !!

The End to a Great Person

William Wilberforce Gravestone

William Wilberforce died on July 29, 1833. He was burried at the West Minister Abby close to his friend, William Pitt.

– Joy-

The Impact of William Wilberforce on the World

Here is a video I found,  I know it is  a little bit long,  however it shows how William Wilberforce had such a profound and everlasting impact on the United Kingdom and the nation.  He is one of the greatest men ever lived.

William Wilberforce’ Genuine Saving Faith

Throughout reading the Amazing Grace in the life of William Wilberforce, we  found many characteristics of genuine saving faith that William Wilberforce possessed. Here is our top 3:

1:Trials

Trials:  Something that breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, joy and happiness in someone’s life. ” to put someone or something to the test”  

• Life at Stake: During William Wilberforce fight to bring the slave trade to an end, his life was threatened more than once.  One example of this was with Robert Norris, a slave ship captain. Even with his live threatened, William Wilberforce did not give up. He kept persevering in his goal to abolish the slave trade.
• Judgement and Criticism: William Wilberforce overcame much judgement and criticism from many of his colleagues and friends, saying that his love for God was deceptive in that he pretended to care about the slaves  when he truly did not care about them.

2: True Faith

  James 2:20 ” But do you want to know, O  foolish man, faith without works is dead”

• Preaching :  Wilberforce spent half of his life following in God’s word and preaching to other people about his faith.
• Abolish the Slaves: William Wilberforce knew that the slave trade was wrong. His work to abolish the slaves was an example of how he used his faith in Christ to work towards a just goal.

3: Impartiality

 James 2:1-13 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scriptures, ” You shall love your neighbour as yourself”

• Equality among all: William Wilberforce wanted to achieve impartiality among everyone in England including the slaves
• Calling from God: He knew that bringing impartiality among the slaves was his calling from God
• End to Slave Trade: He spent  most of his life bringing an end to the slave trade, until his death in 1833

Out of the three characteristics of genuine saving faith, which one do you think is the most important and why?

– Joy-

Thought of the day #4 : Never can you knock him down

His reputation as a man who simply would not give up when the cause was just, is the one of the main reasons why John Piper decided to write a book about him. “Wilberforce jumped up whenever they knocked him down.” He was so successful because he was a confident being. He believed that God would help him get through the hard times, and when he was put through misery he didn’t give up, he persevered through them. It was remarkable to see the obstacles he went through, he had to surmount in the battle for abolition of the slave and then slavery itself. He cared about others more than himself. James talks about how you should care for others in their time of need, because when you are in their shoes, someone will always be there for you. Basically saying you should not always think about yourself, think about the people around you too.

-Sajana-