200 years ago England was the world s greatest empire. It was also the world s greatest slave trader. Slave trading was an extremely inhumane enterprise. Slaves were often put in cages that weren t much bigger than cages used for animals. They were shackled and left in these spaces for weeks at a time as the ships traveled from Africa to England. This inhumane practice continued year after year because it was very profitable for those that were involved in it. Very few would ever raise their voice against it. It was just a part of their national culture. However, one man and a group of his friends would lead a charge that would eventually change the world. His name was William Wilberforce. William Wilberforce attended Cambridge in 1776 where he met his lifelong friend William Pitt. Pitt would later become the youngest prime minister in British history. At age 21 Wilberforce ran for office in the House of Commons and won the seat. He admitted that his initial goal was not to benefit others, but to benefit himself. That was until a few years later when he went through what he would call a spiritual transformation. He began searching for purpose in his life and found Christianity. He realized that his faith and his profession were often at odds with one another and began debating whether or not he should completely give up his political career and begin preaching. He decided to try and find some answers and he went to visit the man who had been his preacher as a child, John
Newton. Newton was 60 years old at this time. He was in poor health and losing his eyesight. When he was younger he had participated in the slave trade but turned away from the very lucrative practice and converted to Christianity after almost dying in a horrific storm while out to sea. From that experience Newton wrote a song called Amazing Grace. Newton told Wilberforce that he could use his position and power for the greater good and could lead the charge to abolish the slave trade. Newton impressed upon him that God may have put him in such a role for just that purpose. In 1787 Wilberforce began what would be a 20 year battle in Parliament to abolish the slave trade. He brought it up year after year after year and was mocked, ridiculed, and constantly overridden. During his first speech about the issue he spoke for 3 ½ hours and on another occasion he brought forth a petition that had been signed by over 390,000 British citizens. Quite an amazing feat considering that most people refused to stand up against such a controversial issue. Finally, on February 24 th, 1807, 20 years after the battle had begun, after deliberating until 4 AM in the morning the vote was cast 283 to 16 to end the British slave trade. The House of Commons rose and applauded him for several
minutes with tears rolling down his face. The event has been called by some, one of the turning events in the history of the world. That morning one of his peers rose and spoke the following words: When people speak of great men they think of men like Napoleon, men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power. A man who has achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. Yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow, and remember the slave trade is no more. I personally admire the man William Wilberforce because he spent his entire life trying to free people from being enslaved just because of the color of their skin. He believed Christ s words in Matthew 22:37-38. Christ said You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. He stood up for the sick, the poor, and the despised when no one else would.
As admirable of a trait as that is, his fight for their freedom is nothing compared to the fight that Jesus Christ led in our behalf. While Wilberforce attempted to free men from their earthly chains, Jesus Christ came to this earth to free us from the spiritual chains of sin. Romans 7:14, 24-25 Wilberforce and his friend John Newton both understood this concept. Newton once said "only God's amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slavetrading sailor and transform him into a child of God. It has been said that Wilberforce once stood on a table among a group of politicians and actually sang Amazing Grace. These men fought for what was right because they believed that God had done so much for them. The Gospel Message I think it is fitting to end tonight with the simple words that Wilberforce spoke to Parliament after his 3 ½ hour speech detailing the horrific things being done to human beings. He made his final appeal that night by saying, "Having heard all this you may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know. Tonight I am telling you about the amazing grace that God extends, yes even to you. He sent His son to die upon a cruel cross so that you could have
a relationship with Him. Jesus Christ died for you, to release you from the bondage of sin. All that He asks of you is that you obey His will by being baptized into Christ in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and live a life that glorifies Him. Having heard all this you may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.