Eighteenth century England produced many excellent hymnwriters whose hymns are still sung today — Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and the Puritan Philip Doddridge, who died on this day, October 26, 1751. Philip Doddridge was born in London, England on June 26, 1702, the youngest of twenty children. His health was so poor when he was born…
1803 HT: Natalie Tunbridge Henry Martyn, later to become a remarkable missionary, is ordained and given charge of a church at Lolworth, Cambridgeshire, England. The missionary life of Henry Martyn is one of single-minded perseverance to obey the call of God, laborious allegiance to the Word of God, and most importantly, a passionate love for…
1856 HT: Christianity.com London was all astir with talk of the young preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He lacked the flowery, elaborate sentences of most preachers, but his simple directness spoke to the hearts of his audience. His passion for truth was as strong as the older Puritans he loved and studied, yet there was nothing stale…
1760 HT: Dan Graves TO OUTWARD APPEARANCES, John Fletcher was a godly young man. From his childhood days in Switzerland, he had been attentive to God’s word and tender of conscience. He had even won an award from his professors for an essay on godliness. Yet, when he was old enough to choose a profession,…
1555 HT: christianity.com Queen Mary ascended the throne of England in 1553. In subsequent years, she had at least two hundred people put to death (often by fire) for their religious convictions. To history she became known as “Bloody Mary,” although, in truth, she killed far fewer people per year than her brutal father. It…
1894 Rainisoalambo, a diviner on Madagascar, throws away all his amulets and apparatus of divination. The night before, wretched with ulcers, he had called out to the God of Norwegian missionaries and sensed he must get rid of his sorcerous props. Doing so today, he immediately feels a weight lift off him. He knows that…
1605 HT: Dan Graves IN 1548, Theodore Beza became seriously ill. Not yet thirty years old, he stared death in the face. Looking upon his recent conduct, he was ashamed. First was the matter of his faith. At heart he was Protestant but, because he got his income from two benefices of the Catholic…
1876 HT: Dan Graves Harry Ironside was laid aside for dead when he was born on this day, October 14, 1876 in Toronto, Canada. His mother was in a bad state and needed of all the attention she could get if she were to pull through. But God had big plans for the “dead” baby. A nurse…
1747 HT: Stagger and Reel On October 9, 1747, the world lost one of its most fervent and self-sacrificing missionaries, David Brainerd, whose short yet impactful life continues to inspire generations of believers and missionaries. Born in Haddam, Connecticut, on April 20, 1718, Brainerd’s life was marked by deep spiritual struggle, severe physical afflictions, and…
451 HT: Christianity.com When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” he received a multitude of answers. Some said he was John the Baptist, some said he was Elijah or Jeremiah or another one of the prophets. The disciple Peter came up with the correct answer when he said, “You are…