The Life and Letters of Samuel Fothergill

by: Samuel Fothergill

Samuel Fothergill (1715-1772) was the youngest son of eminent Quaker minister, John Fothergill. As a young man, Samuel yielded to various temptations, “giving way to the indulgence of his evil passions, and abandoning himself to the pursuit of folly and dissipation.” So great was his rebellion against the Truth, that his father, upon embarking on a long trip to America, took leave of him with these words—“And now, son Samuel, farewell!—farewell!; and unless it be as a changed man, I cannot say that I have any wish ever to see you again.” These words pierced Samuel’s heart, and were used of the Lord as a means to turn him to the path of repentance and conversion. Feeling the terrors of the Lord for sin, Samuel was made willing to abide under His righteous judgments, and so yielded to the transforming power of divine grace that, in time, he became one of the most distinguished and influential ministers of his day. (Original title: Memoirs of the Life and Gospel Labours of Samuel Fothergill, with Selections from His Correspondence; Beginning with a Short Account of the Life and Travels of His Father, John Fothergill, and Notices of Some of His Descendants.)