WILLIAM WILBERFORCE (1759-1833)

In the summer of 1785 William Wilberforce, the MP for Hull, was on holiday in Switzerland. One of his companions was his former tutor from Cambridge, Isaac Milner, a believer. As they travelled to meet other companions they read and discussed, from an intellectual perspective, the Greek New Testament. This wenon for hours until intellectual assent became for Wilberforce a profound conviction that unless he repented immediately of his sins and trusted Jesus, “I should perish everlastingly.” Almost immediately he developed the problem of what to do next. Bible-believing Christians were despised, and he felt this may ruin his political career. He thought maybe he should now give up politics and become a clergyman.

Back in England he secretly visited his boyhood hero, John Newton, the ex-slave trader. John Newton advised him to stay in politics and work for the Lord there. He started to serve God in political life and received a letter from Captain Sir Charles Middleton urging him to lead a Parliamentary campaign to stop the Atlantic slave trade. Almost all England believed the slave trade to be an economic necessity, and in Parliament itself Wilberforce would know a very violent lobby opposing any attempt at abolition.

Wilberforce was sympathetic to Middleton’s request. In his letter of reply Wilberforce wrote, “I feel the great importance of the subject and I think myself unequal to the task allotted to me.” Despite these doubts Wilberforce agreed to Middleton’s request but soon afterwards he became very ill and it was not until 12th May 1789 that he made his first speech against the slave trade. Wilberforce finally presented his first bill to abolish the slave trade in 1791 – but it was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88. Wilberforce believed God wanted him to continue to fight for the abolition of slavery. So he battled bravely for 15 years against what seemed to most to be an impossible situation. But of course Wilberforce knew that, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37).

Eventually, on 23rd February 1807, Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce received a standing ovation in the House of Commons where applause is forbidden.

With the abolition of the slave trade Wilberforce set himself to see the abolition of slavery itself. In Parliament the Emancipation Bill gathered support and received its final Commons reading on 26th July 1833. Slaves were now free throughout the British Empire. Some people were angry that plantation owners had managed to get enormous compensation (for themselves, of course, not the slaves). Friends rushed round to Wilberforce’s house to tell him the good news and three days later he was dead, his life’s work for the Lord complete.

Wilberforce died happy…. “Thank God that I have lived to witness a day in which England is willing to give 20 millions sterling for the abolition of slavery.”