George Whitefield was born in Gloucester in 1714. His mother was an unsuccessful innkeeper with limited success and was distant from her son’s life. This resulted in Whitefield having a poor childhood, but that did not prevent him from having a good education. Since he was a resident of Gloucester, Whitefield attended a Grammar School to receive an education. Despite having the opportunity to have a good education, Whitefield describes his early life as far from God based on his activities and behavior. In his writings, he confesses that he was addicted to lying, filthy speech, belittling people, not going to church, playing cards, and being a romance reader. The one area that was a specific vice to a young Whitefield was skipping school to visit the theatre to watch, practice, and participate in performances. 

He was a gifted young actor who could recall lots of information from memory and recite famous speeches. At the age of fifteen, Whitefield left school and gave up pursuits of higher education. Historians believe that his mother was a factor in this because of the need to assist her in business so he could support himself and the family financially. However, his mother’s inn did not flourish, and she had to resign. Whitefield, not being shy with words (and with a dash of humor), said about this time, “I put on my blue apron, washed cups, cleaned rooms, and, in one word, became a professed common drawer for nigh a year and a half.” 

Unsure of what to do next, an old classmate of Whitefield encouraged him to go to Oxford. The only problem was that he had to finish Grammar School. This did not sway him, so he went back to school and received his education. After he did that, he entered Pembrook College at Oxford at the age of eighteen. Whitefield was a poor student who needed to work to pay for his time at Oxford. He did this by working hard as a servitor for wealthy students, and while at the college, he started to develop deep religious convictions that he did not have before. He started learning more about Christianity and desired a change to live for Christ. He used his free time to visit prisons, read to prisoners, and always tried to do what was right in his daily life. While searching for like-minded people with similar convictions he stumbled upon two brothers, John and Charles Wesley. These three were devoted to piety and were a works righteousness group at that time known for their strict “method” of living, so they had the title “Methodists.”

The difficulty was that Whitefield lacked an understanding of God’s grace. He recounts that he was running the risk of becoming a Roman Catholic, an ascetic (a monk), a mystic, and having a religion of complete self-denial. Whitefield thought that by persistently and voluntarily denying himself, he would have a “great promotion of the spiritual life.” Despite this dark time in his life, he was recommended five books that helped him greatly: Henry Scougal’s Life of God in the Soul of Man, William Law’s Serious Call, Richard Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted, Joseph Alleine’s Alarm to Unconverted Sinners, and Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Reading these alongside Scripture provided him with the much help he desperately needed. Whitefield’s eyes opened to understand the liberty of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the free gift of God’s grace. Whitefield repented of his former ways of seeking Christian perfectionism. 

The more he read, the more he fell in love with Christ and the doctrines of grace. These sunk deep into his heart and became the driving force of his Christian convictions and preaching. At twenty-two, not by his own seeking, he was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican church. With guidance from the bishop, he started to preach around London, and to his amazement, he drew crowds who were listening to his words. Whitefield brought something new that people had not experienced before by using his voice to preach passionately with tones, emotions, and voice inflections.

In 1737, the Wesley brothers pressured Whitefield to visit Georgia in North America to assist in the care of an orphan house to help care for the children of colonists. Whitefield agreed and sailed for Georgia, but he only stayed about three months because he needed to return to England. The impact of the orphan house was something he felt great conviction over that occupied much of his attention from this period of his life until he died. 

While back in England, he found many churches refusing to accept his preaching style, teachings on the new birth, and the doctrine of regeneration. Whitefield was surprised because he noticed that many Bishops (his superiors) could tolerate Arianism (Jesus was created), Socinianism (Jesus was merely human), and Deism (God does not interfere with His creation) in the churches. Whitefield was bold and did not allow that to hinder him, so he unashamedly declared the atonement of Christ and the inner working of the Holy Spirit. In short, from this period of his life, Whitefield’s field of usefulness within the Church of England narrowed rapidly on every side. 

Whitefield being turned away from many churches gave him a unique opportunity which was to adopt a system of “open-air preaching” where no document or wooden pulpit stood between him and his audience. His convictions were strong to preach outdoors as he observed thousands of people who would not attend church, refusing to go to church, and those who went to church were not hearing the Gospel. So, he decided to go out to them based on Luke ​​14:23 “So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in so that my house will be full.’” His first attempt to do open-air preaching was among the colliers (coal miners) at Kingswood near Bristol, in February 1739. After praying, he went up a hill and began to preach to about a hundred colliers from Matthew 5:1–3.

Being turned away from many churches in England because of his unique preaching style gave Whitefield a unique opportunity to adopt an “open-air preaching” system where no document or wooden pulpit stood between him and his audience. His convictions were strong to preach outdoors as he observed thousands of people – those who did not attend church, those who refused to enter a church, and those who went to the gospel-less churches. So, he decided to go out to them based on Luke ​​14:23 “So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in so that my house will be full.’” His first attempt to do open-air preaching was among the colliers (coal miners) at Kingswood near Bristol, in February 1739. After praying, he went up a hill and began to preach to about a hundred colliers from Matthew 5:1–3. Whitefield’s preaching on the saving grace of Jesus Christ, calling sinners to repentance, was so powerful the colliers that these men had “white gutters” made on their cheeks as tears fell from their soot-covered faces as they came out of the coalpits. Hundreds of them, many of whom had never been to church, were brought under the deep conviction of sin and encouragement because Whitefield’s preaching pointed out that Jesus came to save not only the wealthy, and the politicians but also the hardworking blue-collar class. The event at Kingswood also showed Whitefield’s personal care for the soul of the individual as he was not shy to meet with the colliers to talk with them one-on-one.

Whitefield’s preaching to the commoners with his open-air style of preaching soon gained traction. On one occasion, he was asked to be a guest preacher at a church in London, and while praying churchwardens came to ask if he had a preaching license. Whitefield did not have a license, so he was forbidden to preach. After being told this he went outside and started preaching in the churchyard. Two days after his removal from the church he preached in an open field to about 30,000 people majority of whom were not churchgoers. It is said, “the gospel so proclaimed was listened to and greedily received by hundreds who never dreamed of going to a place of worship.”  Though he considered himself an Anglican, he had difficulties with the Church of England due to not having a license, but he would not allow denomination or geographical lines to break the importance of unity which can only be found in Christ and upholding Scripture. 

In 1739, Whitefield returned to American colonies to preach the gospel. He started in Philadelphia and as he continued to preach wherever he went, even the largest churches could not hold the crowds that came to hear him. So, he went back to preaching in the open fields which resulted in people coming from great distances often exceeding the population of the town he was preaching in. His preaching style was unique, though he was mentored by the Wesleys, Whitefield had different convictions than the Wesley brothers, and he was a convinced Calvinist. Much of his preaching emphasized the “new birth,” which he pointed to as the “conversion experience.” Whitefield never pleaded with people to convert or have to alter calls, but his plea was to have people repent and encourage the new birth through his preaching.

Whitefield continued his preaching journeys in America and Europe, One visit to Ireland was particularly unique as he was almost murdered by a Roman Catholic mob in Dublin. While in America, Jonathan Edwards’s wife, Sarah, remarked, “[Whitefield] makes less of the doctrines than our American preachers generally do and aims more at affecting the heart. He is a born orator.” Whitefield also made the slave communities a part of his revivals, though he was far from an abolitionist. Nonetheless, he increasingly sought out audiences of slaves and wrote on their behalf. Everywhere Whitefield preached, he collected support for the orphanage he had founded in Georgia, though the orphanage was a financial and time-commitment challenge for him, he trusted in God for keeping it. His actions in America (along with many other faithful preachers) sparked a spiritual revival known as “the Great Awakening,” which became one of the most formative events in American history. While in Scotland he preached evening services to thousands and would often go until 2am. There were even times when it was estimated that he preached to an estimated 20,000 people.

Whitefield’s preaching schedule would look something like this: 

– Every Sunday he administered the Lord’s Supper to hundreds of communicants at 6:30am. Afterward, he prayed and preached in the morning and afternoon. He would preach again in the evening at 5:30 by addressing the people on the margins of society.
– Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning he would preach at 6am.
– He delivered evening lectures on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

As a result, he delivered about thirteen sermons a week. All the while still maintaining connections with people and sending funds to the orphanage. Unfortunately, Whitefield’s preaching, lectures, and correspondence successes did not benefit his private family life. Whitefield was skeptical of the idea of marriage and feared having a wife would take away from his preaching. When he finally married an older widow, Elizabeth James, sadly, little is mentioned of his wife in his letters and their union never blossomed into a healthy marriage. He left no children. 

In 1770, the 55-year-old continued his preaching tour in the North American colonies despite poor health and ignored dangerous signs of asthmatic colds and breathing difficulties. Whitefield stated, “I would rather wear out than rust out.” History notes that his last sermon took place in the fields, atop a large barrel, and he was encouraged to preach one last time. He agreed to preach until a large candle went out. His final message was on the “ inefficiency of works to merit salvation,” it is recounted that in this message Whitefield shouted “Works! works! A man gets to heaven by works! I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand.” The following morning he died in the parsonage of Old South Presbyterian Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts, on 30 September 1770, and was buried, according to his wishes, in a crypt under the pulpit of this church. Despite their differences, John Wesley preached his funeral sermon in London at Whitefield’s request.

Looking at the life of George Whitefield one would see a man’s passion for the Gospel and unity among believers. He was not the strongest theologian, but a man God would use to hit the hearts of the masses, calling them to repentance and to enter into the new birth. He labored hard for the Lord but never trusted in his works to save him, and lived for Christ because of the grace that was bestowed upon him.  

Thomas Watson said, “Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed.” The Doctrine of Repentance, 18.

Thomas Watson (1620-1686) was born probably in Yorkshire, England. In his life, Thomas Watson, married Abigail Beadle in 1647. Thomas and Abigail had at least seven children during their marriage. Watson’s life was one that had many trials. Despite being strongly Presbyterian, during the English Civil War, Watson was sympathetic to the Monarchy. In 1651, he was imprisoned for a plot to reinstate Charles II in England, leading to the execution of his friend, Christopher Love. However, Watson was released under a petition for mercy. 

Over time Watson’s convictions on church and state changed, he became a nonconformist and was against the Church of England. This is because in 1662 he refused to comply with the Act of Uniformity that declared all public prayers, how the sacraments were to be administered and the ordination process of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons within the Church of England must conform to the rites and ceremonies prescribed in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Non-conformity would result in serious consequences of removal from the church and the potential of exile, prison, and even death. 

Watson and other clergy disagreed with the act, resulting in his removal from the pastorate. Even with no church building, he could not be stopped from preaching, even when it was illegal. He preached in barns, homes, and in the woods. Wherever he could preach, he did! 

In 1666, after the Great Fire of London, Watson prepared a large room for public worship, welcoming anyone who wished to attend. In 1672, after the ‘Act of Indulgences’ (granting religious freedom), Watson obtained a license for Crosby Hall, Bishopsgate, where he preached until his health failed. Watson died in 1686 while in his home in Essex. It is believed that he died while praying in his prayer closet. Thomas Watson left this life and entered into glory all while communing with God. 

C.H. Spurgeon said, “Happy were the citizens who regularly attended so instructive and spiritual a ministry [under Thomas Watson] … Going in and out among his flock, fired with holy zeal for their eternal welfare, his years rolled on pleasantly enough amid the growing respect of all who knew him.” 

Amongst the Puritans, Thomas Watson is known for his concise writing, gift of illustration, and application for the Christian journey. To learn more from Thomas Watson, read his books All Things for Good and The Doctrine of Repentance

“You cannot love God if you are under the continual secret suspicion that he is really your enemy! … You simply cannot love God unless you know and understand how much he loves you. … In the gospel, you can come to know that God truly loves you through Christ. When you have this assurance, you can even love your enemies, because you know that you are reconciled to God. You know that God’s love will make people’s hatred of you work together for your good.” ― Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification: Growing in Holiness

Walter Marshall was born in 1628 at Bishops Wearmouth in Durham, England. He was a studious young man who entered Winchester College at eleven. Marshall then went to New College, Oxford, from 1648 to 1657. He earned his B.A. in 1652 and four years later he became the vicar of Hursley, Hampshire, during that time he also served at Winchester College in the areas of teaching, research, and management. Around this time he was married and had two daughters. 

In 1662, the Act of Uniformity passed that declared all public prayers, how the sacraments were to be administered and the ordination process of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons within the Church of England must conform to the rites and ceremonies prescribed in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Non-conformity would result in serious consequences of removal from the church and the potential of exile, prison, and even death. Marshall did not submit based on his conscience, so he along with many other nonconformists were ejected from their church on the 90th anniversary of the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.  

Being true to his convictions, Marshall eventually became an Independent congregationalist at Gosport, Hampshire, where he served his remaining days. It was while at Gosport he wrote a book titled Gospel Mystery inspired by 1 Timothy 3:16. Despite having a church and a book that gave him notoriety, Marshall suffered from periods of depression and spiritual difficulties. He interacted with Richard Baxter who saw Marshall as too legalistic. He then went on to meet with Thomas Goodwin, in whom he confided that his sins were constantly weighing on his mind. Goodwin exhorted Marshall because it appeared he had forgotten the Gospel of Jesus Christ who offered the remission of his sins and the sanctifying work of Christ is part of His nature. This helped Marshall with a new vigor to preach and study Christ rather than always looking at himself. In the past, he would often view “personal righteousness [as] the basis of his dealings with God” for some form of peace in his life. This personal revelation resulted in a focus on Christ for holiness, “peace of conscience,” and true joy found in the Holy Spirit. Through this period of challenge and overcoming, he wrote his The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. 

Marshall died at Gosport in 1680. Before he died, he said to his visitors, “I die in the full persuasion of the truth and in the comfort of that doctrine which I have preached to you.” He then offered his last words, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

Walter Marshall did not gain recognition for his preaching, but his writings and the way he lived commended him to others. He taught that union with Christ and combining the means of grace will result in a “fruitful and blessed life. Such a pursuit will abase our flesh, exalt God, and coalesce with all the doctrines of grace.” (Joel Beeke). 

Cotton Mather (1663-1729), was a third-generation American Puritan, son of Increase Mather, and grandson of John Cotton. He entered Harvard at 12 by passing the entrance exam highlighting his gifting in Latin and Greek. At the age of 18, he received his M.A. from his father, who was the president at Harvard. 

Mather wrestled with his faith from a young age, at times he was so concerned about his salvation that he would appear depressed, and at other times he was ecstatic with the excitement of heaven. Regardless of his emotional state, he was noted as having a continual “conversation with heaven.” Having a speech impediment held him back from the ministry so he pursued becoming a physician, which he had a lifelong interest in. After a friend persuaded him not to view his speech limitations as a hindrance to pastoral work, he went back into religious studies. In 1680, he preached his first sermon at his father’s church from the pulpit of his grandfather. Five years later he was ordained into the ministry at his father’s church. The two developed deep bonds as father and son as well as colleagues. 

Like his father, Mather was a staunch defender of Puritan orthodoxy who devoted his life to praying, preaching, writing, raising a family, and publishing. He still followed his passion for caring for others. This was seen as he encouraged some revolutionary ideas for the time: encouraging schoolmasters to reward instead of punish the student, one of his most lasting medical legacies, was in the scope of counseling, which was to show care and treatment to people who were struggling with mental illness by looking to external factors which may have attributed to the condition. His interest in the sciences made him unique among many of his American contemporaries as he was a strong advocate of a “new germ theory and inoculation against smallpox” which ran counter to many of Boston’s physicians during the epidemic of 1721. After Mather inoculated his own son, a bomb was thrown through his chamber window by those who opposed. Despite facing criticism of his medical views, Mather stood by his principles. He was a proponent of a temperate diet, physical exercise, and the discouragement of smoking which was unique at the time. Mather wrote on the importance of integrating faith and science, staying true to his reformed roots he was able to articulate the importance of reason and explaining one’s experience. Through such writings he was able to articulate God in the “wonders of the earth and universe beyond” and at the same time anticipate the rise of Deism of the 18th century. He was known as a “vigorous defender of the Reformed doctrines of grace” which caused tensions within his family (particularly his father) because he encouraged others to consider Yale for ministry because of the rise of liberal teachings coming out of Harvard, where his father had been president.

In his private life, he was widowed twice and had 15 children by his three wives—Abigail Phillips, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Lydia George (who became mentally unstable)— with only two children surviving him. Mather was a product of his time, while, he was not against the institution of slavery and he had a number of slaves in his household. On the other hand, he stood against the mistreatment of slaves and urged slave owners to view slaves as “servants” who needed to be taught the Christian faith, accept them as spiritual brothers and sisters, and treat them justly and kindly. Unfortunately, all of the good that Mather did, is often overshadowed by his involvement in the Salem Witch Trials, which have garnered a poor reputation. Working with his father, Mather was passionate about justice but he also showed compassion, taking an accused girl into his own home in order to teach and guide her on the right path. Mather purported that cases against a witch were often on suspected “spectral evidence” (testimonial of the victim being attacked by a spiritual force), which Mather did not support as reliable evidence.

In his writings, he published more than four hundred works on all aspects of areas of life: theological, historical, biographical, political, and scientific. Some of which influenced the likes of Benjamin Franklin and John Ryland. While many of his books were influential in academic circles, what would be recommended for the average reader would be his powerful little book on the family unit titled, “A Family Well Ordered.” This book has extra weight added to it after reading Mather’s life, especially after all the challenges that he faced, he still saw the value of having a home that honored Christ. Reading the life of Cotton Mather, one will see a man who stuck to Scriptural principles. He trusted the Lord’s leading in all facets of his life, and at the same time recognized that the Lord had gifted him with a mind that was to be used for the betterment of society by bringing God the glory. 

“Wrestle with the Lord. Accept no denial. Earnestly protest, “Lord, I will not let Thee go unless Thou bless this poor child of mine and make it Thine own!”  Do this until, if it may be, your heart is raised by a touch of heaven to a belief that God has blessed this child, and it shall be blessed and saved forever.”
– Cotton Mather, A Family Well Ordered

“Conversion is a work above man’s power … Never think you can convert yourself. If ever you would be savingly converted, you must despair of doing it in your own strength. It is a resurrection from the dead, a new creation, a work of absolute omnipotence … Conversion is a supernatural work.”
— Joseph Alleine, An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners.

Joseph Alleine (1634-1668) was born at Devizes, Wiltshire, and from a young age, he was an exceptionally gifted student who was willing to serve the Lord. When he was around eleven years old, after the death of his brother, Edward, a clergyman, Alleine pleaded for an education so that he could replace his brother in the ministry of the church. At the age of sixteen, he proved his worth and went on to study at Oxford. While studying, he learned from the Puritans John Owen and Thomas Goodwin, who helped form much of his Puritan convictions. Studying during these times would not have been easy for a Puritan mind, because of the political climate of the day Charles I was beheaded and his son, Charles II, at the head of a Scottish army, was defeated by Cromwell’s Parliamentarians at Worcester. 

Alleine graduated from Oxford in 1653 at nineteen with a B.A. and soon became a tutor and chaplain within Oxford. He was also a pastor to those in need as he intentionally took time to preach to prisoners in the county jail, visit the sick, and minister to the poor. Two years later, he accepted the role of an assistant to George Newton, the vicar of a church in Taunton, Somerset. This location was known as a “Puritan Stronghold” with about 20,000 people. That same year he married his cousin, Theodosia. Historians share that she was a woman who feared God, and early in their marriage, she ran a home school of about fifty scholars, with half needing food and lodging. She would later serve as her husband’s biographer after his death.

While in Taunton, his ministry was successful as he preached the Word faithfully, had deep relations with his flock, and even offered catechesis classes. Alleine was noticed by the Puritan Richard Baxter, who was impressed by his care for his congregants. However, in 1662, Alleine and many other Puritans were removed from their position because of the Act of Nonconformity. After being ejected from his church, he used this to bolster his preaching and averaged one to two sermons each day for nine months until he was arrested and put in jail. However, that still did not sway him from preaching, as his cell became a pulpit as he preached to the masses through the bars. His release in 1664 did not last long, and was arrested a second time for preaching on July 10, 1666. Upon his second release in 1668, he returned to Taunton where he started his ministry but became very ill because of the arrests, and ministering to his flock took its toll on his mind and body. Nine months later, at age thirty-four, Alleine died, and on his deathbed, he was praising God and saying, “Christ is mine, and I am His— His by covenant.”

Joseph Alleine’s life was short, but one that God used to show people (particularly ministers) the importance of staying faithful to the Gospel even in the face of adversity. Meanwhile, still have the heart to care for those we are close to. 

If you want to learn more about Joseph Alleine, read his A Sure Guide to Heaven or also titled An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners. It will help most people with its clear and easy statements of sharing what the Christian Gospel message really is, even providing answers to questions that even a person of the twenty-first century would ask valuable questions as “Why is conversion necessary?” and “What are the motives to conversion?”  

Henry Scougal (1650-1678) was a young Scottish minister who God gifted with a beautiful intellect that resulted in him writing much during his short lifetime and influencing many future ministers. Scougal was the son of Patrick Scougal, a bishop of Aberdeen, and was educated at King’s College, Aberdeen, where he graduated with a Master of Arts at the age of 18. As a gifted academic he was soon appointed as a professor who taught Baconian (Francis Bacon) philosophy and guarded his students against the liberalism of Thomas Hobbes’s philosophy. 

Scougal was ordained in 1672 and was appointed minister of the parish of Auchterless, Aberdeenshire. A year later he was elected by the bishop and synod professor at King’s College to be a professor and he chose to focus his efforts in the area of academia rather than a pastor of the church in Auchterless. Scougal made it his goal to impress on the students the importance of holiness as most of these men were to be ministers for the Gospel. While he did teach theology with academic rigor, his main focus was on character development. While he was not teaching he was often writing and only one book was published in his lifetime with many other writings released after his death. His most famous The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man was written to a friend to explain Christianity and give Christian counsel. Along with being a writer and professor, Scougal was also noted for his commitment to Scripture of which his comprehension was increased by his proficiency in the ancient languages of Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. 

Henry Scougal never married and died at the young age of 28 from tuberculosis on 13 June 1678. He was buried in the university chapel at King’s College. Scougal’s The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man had a major impact years after his death. Some of the famous preachers during the Great Awakening, including Charles Wesley and George Whitefield, found Scougal’s writings to be edifying and encouraging. Whitefield greatly benefited from Scougal’s teaching on the doctrine of free salvation which he desired to be a focus of his teaching. It was actually the book that convinced Whitefield that he “must be born again, or be damned.” Whitefield testified that he “never knew what true religion was” until he read this book. The Life of God In The Soul of Man was also a favorite of John Newton.

Despite a short life, God used Henry Scougal mightily to educate people on the importance of God’s free gift of salvation and the importance of living a holy life in a manner that honors Christ. 

“Christians know by experience that true religion is a union of the soul with God, a real participation in the divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or, in the apostle’s phrase, “it is Christ formed within us.” ― Henry Scougal, Life of God in the Soul of Man

See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?” Issac Watts.

Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) was born in Southampton during a tumultuous time. Eleven years before his birth the bubonic plague swept through London (nearly wiped out the town of Southampton), and a year after the Great Fire of London leveled parliament which had a massive impact on Britain. But these disasters were not the only challenges facing this nation, political unrest was present with monarchs pushing for unity between church and state. In 1662, the Act of Uniformity Act was passed, and when it was implemented it forced ministers to be licensed and be subjected to the monarch who was the supreme head under the Church of England, or sent to prison. This act sent Isaac Watts’s father to prison and many others (i.e. John Bunyan) who did not agree with the Uniformity Act. These people who opposed the Act of Uniformity were called Nonconformists. 

When Watts was born, his father was facing his second term of imprisonment for not conforming to the Act. Watts’s mother would visit her husband, she would sit on a mounting block outside the prison, and nurse him while chatting with his father between the bars. When his father was not in prison he rigorously taught his nine children. Through his teaching, he taught them not to hate the authorities, educating them that God has a plan for all people, and in the midst of adversity to be faithful to the Word. 

Poetry played a big part in the Watts family and they saw it as an essential part of their family’s education in addition to biblical worship. One evening during their family worship Watts spotted a mouse climbing up the bell rope and laughed. After his father rebuked him and asked why he was laughing Watts responded “the mouse for want of stairs ran up the rope for prayers.” Noticing the gifting of the young lad, the family encouraged him to keep up with his poetry and to put it on paper. Noticing his grasp of language through poetry, Watts’s father taught him Latin at the age of four, which would serve him well as a young man who went on to master Greek, Hebrew, and French. 

When it came time for Watts to attend school, he held similar convictions to his father and did not want to be affiliated with the Church of England. Watts was offered by many wealthy townspeople to pay for his education at Oxford or Cambridge, which would have led him into Anglican ministry. Rejecting these offers, Watts at the age of 16, went to London to study at a leading Nonconformist academy in Stoke Newington in 1694.

In 1702, he became pastor of a congregational church in London. At the Mark Lane Chapel, one of the city’s most influential independent churches, but the following year, he began suffering from psychiatric and physical illnesses that would plague him for the rest of his life. Due to his recurrent ill health, he was not able to preach regularly because of grievous bodily affliction, a serious nervous system condition, and insomnia. Watts was forced to resign his pastorate at Mark Lane in 1712. Sadly, his illness and appearance (Watts is noted as not being a handsome man) all took a toll on his personal life. Elizabeth Singer was greatly attracted to Watts as a poet but struggled with his appearance, so when he later proposed to her, she responded with, “Mr. Watts, I only wish that I could say that I admire the casket [his appearance] as much as I admire the jewel [his mind and heart].” 

In 1712 he had been invited to spend a week at the home of Sir Thomas Abney in Hertfordshire. He enjoyed himself so much there that ended up staying there for the rest of his life, so he could devote himself to writing. Lady Abney and her daughter took great care of Watts, which allowed him to write and compose. Sir Thomas died eight years after Watts became a resident under his roof and care, and Lady Abney survived Watts for some twelve months. Watts died in Stoke Newington in November 1748.

While Isaac Watts is often recognized for his hymns, people do not know that he was more than a poet. Watts was also a scholar of wide reputation, he wrote nearly 30 theological treatises; essays on psychology, astronomy, and philosophy; three volumes of sermons; the first children’s hymnal; and a textbook on logic.

If you desire to learn more about Isaac Watts, read some of his hymns (history shows that he wrote approximately 750 hymns!) and get a glimpse into the mind of a man whom God used to impact many. To complement his hymns, a recommended reading would be his A Guide to Prayer which is a helpful resource in aiding one’s prayer life.

“Call upon God, adore and confess, petition, plead and then declare you are the Lord’s; give thanks and bless And let ‘Amen’ confirm the prayer.” – Isaac Watts.