Friday, March 30, 2007

The Age of Wilberforce

“I must awake to my dangerous state, and never be at rest till I have made my peace with God. My heart is so hard, my blindness so great, that I cannot get a due hatred of sin, though I see I am all corrupt, and blinded to the perception of spiritual things.

So writes William Wilberforce a few months before his conversion.

Greek scholar Gilbert Murray writes in Religio Grammatici, “[T]he moving force in human progress is not widespread…the uplifting of man has ever been the work of a chosen few.” And we can certainly see how true his idea was during William Wilberforce’s lifetime (1759-1833). After living an extravagant lifestyle, Wilberforce converted to Christianity and God was able to use him help change a nation...

Thus begins a stirring piece from the Breakpoint web site written by Kim Robbins Moreland, a project manager and research associate for the Wilberforce Forum. It is a very good overview of Wilberforce's career and motivations. Check it out right here.