Allen Francis Gardiner to Tierra del Fuego

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This is the day that … Allen Francis Gardiner was born in 1794, in Berkshire, England.

After a reckless decade, from age 15 to 25, during which he forsook the Christian heritage his parents had given him, and during which time he had become an English naval officer, Gardiner was confronted by the claims of Christ, as an elderly lady – a friend of his mother’s – wrote to him and quoted John 3:7 – “Ye must be born again.”

This led to his conversion, and in the days that followed Captain Allen Gardiner sailed forth to South America to plant the gospel among the natives of Tierra del Fuego. From 1841 he tried to reach the natives, forming the Patagonian Missionary Society. His attempts to settle there were frustrated by the hostility of the natives. His final attempt, with six men persisted for about a year until he and his men died of exposure and starvation, Gardiner being 57 years of age.

As a result of his heroic example, the South American Missionary Society was born, and still carries on its evangelical work.

Charles Darwin visited Tierra del Fuego in December 1832 and determined that the natives of that land were more distant from humans than domesticated animals. He held little hope for their improvement. But in 1867 Darwin learned of the effective evangelistic work among the natives. Darwin was so impressed that he promptly commenced to support the South American Missionary Society for the remaining 15 years of his life.

This post is based on the work of my late friend Donald Prout whose love for books and Christian history led him to collate a daily Christian calendar. I continue to work with Don’s wife, Barbara, to share his life work with the world. I have updated some of these historical posts and will hopefully draw from Don’s huge files of clippings to continue this series beyond Don’s original work. More of Don’s work can be found at www.donaldprout.com.

Philip Henry Stands on God’s Word

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This is the day that …Philip Henry died in 1696.

During his 65 years of earthly pilgrimage he was an ordained Church of England clergyman who was ejected from his church (as were some 2000 other clergy), for refusing to obey the king’s “Act of Uniformity” (24 August, 1662).

Two months later his son Matthew was born, and it is due to his father’s preaching (especially a sermon on Psalm 51:17) that Matthew’s soul was awakened “to begin to enquire after Christ”. Matthew Henry went on to become famous for his great commentary on the Bible.

Philip Henry has been described as “a man of great good sense, shrewd as well as pious, and his remarks, expressed in a quaint, proverbial style, have been recorded with filial fidelity by his excellent and celebrated son” (Cyclopaedia of Religious Biography, page 257).

Among the many quotes from Philip are these: All grace grows as Love to the Word of God grows; Prayers not felt by us are seldom heard by God.

Philip Henry’s dying words are recorded for us – “O death, where is thy sting?”

This post is based on the work of my late friend Donald Prout whose love for books and Christian history led him to collate a daily Christian calendar. I continue to work with Don’s wife, Barbara, to share his life work with the world. I have updated some of these historical posts and will hopefully draw from Don’s huge files of clippings to continue this series beyond Don’s original work. More of Don’s work can be found at www.donaldprout.com.

Increase Mather, Great Pre-Independence American

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This is the day that … Increase Mather was born in 1639, in Massachusetts.

He was to become a leading light in colonial America – a Puritan of the Puritans, author of 130 books and pamphlets, and president of Harvard University (1681-1701). He is arguably one of just a handful of men who stand out as the greatest of Americans in the Pre-Independence era.

He first wife was Maria Cotton, daughter of another famous Puritan divine, John Cotton, who had fled England, having disobeyed the archbishop’s command to kneel before the sacrament. And the son of Increase and Maria was named Cotton Mather, who published 469 volumes – a brilliant scholar on a wide variety of subjects.

Increase travelled to and from England, standing before Kings, to argue for the values he held dear and promoted in colonial America. This required great personal fortitude and resolve. He was an assiduous student, spending up to 16 hours a day in his books, yet his preaching did not seem affected by the learning, as he maintained a natural and cogent style that connected well with his hearers.

Cotton Mather is usually remembered for his part in the infamous Salem witch trials – especially as he defended the use of spectral (unseen) evidence! This was in opposition to his father’s rejecting such evidence in finding as guilty those accused of witchcraft. But he also wrote the monumental account of the early years of Christianity in America, The Great Works of Christ in America.

Maria died in 1714 and in 1715 Increase married Ann Lake, widow of Maria’s nephew.

Increase Mather died on 23 August, 1723, in the arms of his son.

This post is based on the work of my late friend Donald Prout whose love for books and Christian history led him to collate a daily Christian calendar. I continue to work with Don’s wife, Barbara, to share his life work with the world. I have updated some of these historical posts and will hopefully draw from Don’s huge files of clippings to continue this series beyond Don’s original work. More of Don’s work can be found at www.donaldprout.com.

Adam Clarke, Wesley’s Great Asset

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This is the day that … Adam Clarke preached his first sermon.

He was about 21 years of age at the time – the date of his birth is uncertain – but this young Irishman had come to faith in Christ through the ministry of some itinerant Methodist preachers.

In 1778 (when he was perhaps 18 years of age) he joined the Methodist Church, led his sister, Hannah, to the Saviour, and found himself as ‘helper’ to Rev. Bredin. “Tomorrow,” said this wise man of God, “you will preach to the Methodists some five miles from Derry.” “I will do the best I can,” replied Adam, “with God’s help.”

Thus it was – on 19 June, 1782 – that Adam Clarke expounded I John 5:19: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness”. The congregation was so impressed that they invited him to stay overnight and preach to them again at 5 o’clock the next morning – which he did!

Mr Bredin had seen the potential in this young man and already written to John Wesley in England. Wesley replied that he would be pleased if Adam Clarke came to England to assist in the work there.

The rest is history. Not only did Adam Clarke become one of Wesley’s most loyal preachers and president of the Methodist Conference, in 1806, but his fame lives on in his massive Bible Commentary – the work of 40 years.

He died of cholera on 26 August, 1832.

This post is based on the work of my late friend Donald Prout whose love for books and Christian history led him to collate a daily Christian calendar. I continue to work with Don’s wife, Barbara, to share his life work with the world. I have updated some of these historical posts and will hopefully draw from Don’s huge files of clippings to continue this series beyond Don’s original work. More of Don’s work can be found at www.donaldprout.com.