Statesman and Saint

"When I look to the man at the head of the French monarchy (Napoleon), surrounded as he is with all the pomp of power and all the pride of victory, distributing kingdoms to his family and principalities to his followers, seeming when he sits upon his throne to have reached the summit of human ambition and the pinnacle of earthly happiness—and when I follow that man into his closet or to his bed, and consider the pangs with which his solitude must be tortured and his repose banished, by the recollection of the blood he has spilled and the oppressions he has committed—and when I compare with those pangs of remorse the feelings which must accompany my honourable friend from this House (Wilberforce) to his home, after the vote of this night shall have confirmed the object of his humane and unceasing labours; when he retires into the bosom of his happy and delighted family, when he lays himself down on his bed, reflecting on the innumerable voices that will be raised in every quarter of the world to bless him, how much for pure and perfect felicity must he enjoy, having preserved so many millions of his fellow creatures."—
Sir Samuel Romilly on Wilberforce and Napoleon

Some of you may think I am slightly obsessed with William Wilberforce. The rest of you may think that I am majorly obsessed with William Wilberforce. You are both wrong. After the movie Amazing Grace came out, Brett, my older brother suggested that I read this book: a bio on Mr. Wilberforce.

For your understanding, before the movie came out, I knew virtually nothing about William Wilberforce besides that he abolished slavery in the British Empire. This book explains more of the life of this British Parlimentarian.

The author, David J. Vaughan, has been accused of only writing about Wilberforce’s good side. I don’t believe so. David Vaughan writes in response “I displays William’s faults as much as his strengths, but as Wilberforce’s triumph is so great, his faults dim in comparison.”

Vaughan begins by giving a short, eighty-page summary of Wilberforce’s life. He explains how William grew up, his college life, his political life, his love life, and of course, his struggle against slavery.

After the summary, David then talks about the Character of William Wilberforce. Things such as Providence, Religion, and Integrity are talked about. He also talks about Faults for as they say, “Faults he has, as who is free from them?”.

Through this book I learned about his personality, his social life, his struggles, his family, his devotion to God, and many more things. William Wilberforce was used by God to accomplish something great. He is a man who should be emulated by all.

Buy Statesman and Saint

Isaac Harris