On March 17, 1780, Thomas Chalmers of Scotland was born. He was born when the American Colonies were fighting for independence. He did not get saved until he was 31 years old. He was a dynamic mathematics professor who stirred up the faculty of the College, who felt mathematics was not to be taught with fervor.
In 1803, the French were gathering a fleet of sufficient strength to convoy their troops into England. Chalmers joined a force of volunteers as a chaplain and lieutenant.
While a professor of mathematics, he took a church, but spent very little time in study and preparation for his sermons. He counted on his own enthusiastic speaking to carry him. He preached "high morality" and such things as "this do and live." It was not until he was 31 that he realized that his preaching had been wrong. He learned that salvation comes to those who "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Such a heartfelt belief brings joy and confidence.
With his eloquence and a knowledge of the Gospel, he was soon asked to take a large church in Glasgow. He was 35, and it was 1815. The church held 1400 people and rarely was there enough seats for people to all get to sit down.
His first frustration upon moving to Glasgow was the squalor and degraded condition the larger part of the population found themselves. It kept them from daring to come to a church.
He determined to visit all 11,000 people in his town within the first year. His visits were of necessity short, but they were long enough to learn the greatest needs. Ignorance was the biggest problem. He started community Sunday Schools. Since this was not enough, he raised the money to start day schools, with fees for the students low enough they could afford to take math, writing, book-keeping, etc. He was determined that they not be "charity schools."
The system of deacons had been discontinued, but being important to handle the welfare program of the church, he had it reinstituted.
In 1823, he decided to leave his sphere of influence to return to university teaching in hopes he could bring a higher station to the ministry, by training future missionaries and preachers. One of his biggest problems was that he wanted to work with a few, and not have to manage crowds. No matter what he did, this simply was not to be.
Among his students came many spiritual giants of the day, among whom where McCheyne and the Bonar brothers.
By 1840, he had seen 200 independent churches get started.
"The heart must have something to cling to—and never, by its voluntary consent, will the heart so detach itself from all its attachments that there shall not be one remaining object that can draw its attention or solicit its affections. The love of the world cannot be removed by a mere demonstration of the world’s worthlessness. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new affection. We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our hearts than to keep in our hearts the love of God."
He died on May 30, 1847, aged 67 years.
Sources
K. W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1985). Page 200.
"Passion" 10,000 Sermon Illustrations, electronic ed. (Dallas: Biblical Studies Press, 2000).
http:/www.newble.co.uk/chalmers/
http://www.freechurch.org/chalmers_intro.html
