July 30: William Wilberforce, Social Reformer, 1833

The Collect of the Day

William Wilberforce

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, kindle in your Church the never-failing gift of love; that, following the example of your servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

William Wilberforce

Let thy continual mercy, O Lord, enkindle in thy Church the never-failing gift of love; that, following the example of thy servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

2 Samuel 12:1–10
Psalm 112:1–9
Matthew 25:31–40

The life of William Wilberforce refutes the popular notion that a politician cannot be a saintly Christian, dedicated to the service of humanity.

Wilberforce was born into an affluent family in Hull, Yorkshire, on August 24th, 1759, and was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge. In 1780, he was elected to the House of Commons, and he served in it until 1825. He died in London, July 29th, 1833, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

His conversion to an evangelical Christian life occurred in 1784, several years after he entered Parliament. Fortunately, he was induced by his friends not to abandon his political activities after this inward change in his life, but thereafter he steadfastly refused to accept high office or a peerage.

He gave himself unstintingly to the promotion of overseas missions, popular education, and the reformation of public manners and morals. He also supported parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation. Above all, his fame rests upon his persistent, uncompromising, and single-minded crusade for the abolition of slavery and the slave-trade. That sordid traffic was abolished in 1807. He died just one month before Parliament put an end to slavery in the British dominions. One of the last letters written by John Wesley was addressed to Wilberforce. In it Wesley gave him his blessing for his noble enterprise.

Wilberforce’s eloquence as a speaker, his charm in personal address, and his profound religious spirit, made him a formidable power for good; and his countrymen came to recognize in him a man of heroic greatness.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

¹Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord *and have great delight in his commandments!

²Their descendants will be mighty in the land; *the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches will be in their house, *and their righteousness will last for ever.

⁴Light shines in the darkness for the upright; *the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

⁵It is good for them to be generous in lending *and to manage their affairs with justice.

⁶For they will never be shaken; *the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

⁷They will not be afraid of any evil rumors; *their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord.

⁸Their heart is established and will not shrink, *until they see their desire upon their enemies.

⁹They have given freely to the poor, *and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honor.

Gospel

¹and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had very many flocks and herds; ³but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” ⁵Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; ⁶he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” ⁷Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; ⁸I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. ⁹Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.