William Seward

William Seward

“Can you imagine having your eye violently blinded by a furious mob, yet choosing to go right back out and preach until they literally stone you to death?

William Seward (1702-1740) was a passionate, 38-year-old open-air preacher during the Great Evangelical Revivals of the 1700s.

He was a close friend and supporter of legendary preachers like John Wesley and George Whitefield.

But bringing the Gospel to the streets of England and Wales was an incredibly dangerous calling.

When Seward preached in the open air, his message of salvation didn't just draw crowds; it provoked furious, violent opposition.

During a ministry trip to South Wales, Seward faced a level of hatred that most of us cannot even fathom:

In one town, a furious mob rushed him, physically tearing the clothes right off his body.

They pelted him with apples, rocks, and literal animal dung, throwing hard stones directly into his face.

During the chaos, a brutal blow struck him squarely in the right eye, completely destroying his sight.

For days, the trauma was so severe that he couldn't see out of his good eye either, forcing this bold leader to be led around helplessly by the hand.

Most men would have gone home.

Most men would have decided they had sacrificed enough.

But Seward was undeterred.

Despite being permanently maimed, he refused to be silenced.

In October of 1740, he stood up in the open air to proclaim the Gospel to yet another hostile crowd.

The crowd’s anger quickly turned into a murderous rage.

They began pelting the one-eyed preacher with heavy stones.

Suddenly, a rock violently struck the back of Seward’s head, sending him crashing to the ground, completely unconscious.

He never woke up.

After hovering between life and death for several days, William Seward passed away at the tender age of 38, becoming the very first "Methodist martyr."

But perhaps the most chilling and beautiful part of his story is what they found in his journal.

Just the night before he suffered that fatal blow, Seward wrote these prophetic words:

“Oh, that I may lay down my head and fall asleep in the arms of my Lord.”

William Seward’s blood reminds us of a sobering truth: great movements of God are always characterized by great sacrifice.

He didn't just preach the Gospel; he paid for it with his life!”

Yes, the core of the story is true. William Seward (1702–1740) was a real historical figure—a wealthy stockbroker turned passionate open-air preacher, supporter of George Whitefield and the early Methodist revival, who died at age 38 after mob violence. Verified Facts

• Background and calling: He was a friend and financial supporter of Whitefield, traveled with him (including to America), and became an enthusiastic lay preacher in the open-air revivals of the 1730s–1740s.
• The eye injury: In September 1740, while preaching with Howell Harris in Caerleon, South Wales, a mob attacked. Seward was struck in the right eye by a stone (or hard object), which destroyed his sight in that eye. The injury was severe enough that for a time it affected his other eye, and he had to be led by hand. Contemporary accounts (including his own journal) confirm the pelting with stones, dirt, dung, etc.
• Death: In October 1740 at Hay-on-Wye (or nearby), he faced another hostile crowd and was struck in the head by a stone. He fell unconscious, lingered for several days, and died on October 22, 1740. He is widely regarded as the first Methodist martyr.
• Journal entry: The poignant line “Oh, that I may lay down my head and fall asleep in the arms of my Lord” appears in multiple accounts as one of his final writings.

Minor Clarifications / EmbellishmentsThe viral version you shared is dramatic and inspirational (common in modern retellings on social media and church sites), but some details blend or heighten events:

• The fatal head injury happened at/near Hay-on-Wye, but some historians note that the exact role of the final stoning is debated. The earlier eye injury (and possible infection/complications) contributed significantly to his decline. Later “martyrdom at Hay” stories grew in the telling, though the violence and head blow are well-attested.
• He wasn’t literally “stoned to death” on the spot like Stephen in Acts—he was injured, carried away, and died days later.

Overall, the account is historically reliable in substance. Seward really did endure brutal opposition, lose an eye to a mob, keep preaching anyway, and die from the violence shortly afterward. His courage and sacrifice were genuine.

Freed up to Love Him

 When our sense of guilt is taken away because our consciences are cleansed by the blood of Christ, we’re freed up to love Him with all our hearts and souls and minds. We’re motivated in a positive sense to love Him in this wholehearted way.

Christ's Obedience

 Christ’s active and passive obedience is mine. God looks upon me as if I had not sinned; nay, as if I had perfectly obeyed his law.

Thomas Watson

Our Infinite Profit

 Christ gave himself to us for our infinite profit. If we give ourselves to him, it won't be for his profit but for our own.

Jonathan Edwards

Obedience of Love

 "The Christian delights to be obedient—but it is the obedience of love, to which he is constrained by the example of his master."

— Charles H. Spurgeon

All your wickedness before Him.

"Spread all your wickedness before him, and do not plead your goodness; but plead your badness, and your necessity on that account: and say, as the psalmist in the text, not “Pardon mine iniquity, for it is not so great as it was,” but, “Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

Jonathan Edwards

WLC 185

 WLC 185  How are we to pray?

A. We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will.

Our attitude or disposition in prayer ought to be characterized by a reverent recognition of God’s majesty & our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2; Luke 18:9-14), repentant and thankful hearts (Philippians 4:6; 1 Samuel 1:15; 2:1), sincere and devoted affections (Mark 11:22-24; James 1:5-8), and a persevering confidence and patience (Isaiah 62:6-7; Luke 18:1-8).  

Two Pastoral Problems

“Wherefore, there are two things hard and difficult in this case:— “1. To convince those in whom sin evidently has the dominion that such indeed is their state and condition. “They will with their utmost endeavor keep off the conviction hereof. Some justify themselves, some excuse themselves, and some will make no inquiry into this matter. “It is a rare thing, especially of late, to have any brought under this conviction by the preaching of the word, though it be the case of multitudes that attend unto it. “2. To satisfy some that sin has not the dominion over them, notwithstanding its restless acting itself in them and warring against their souls; “yet unless this can be done, it is impossible they should enjoy solid peace and comfort in this life. “And the concernment of the best of believers, while they are in this world, does lie herein; for as they grow in light, spirituality, experience, freedom of mind and humility, the more they love to know of the deceit, activity, and power of the remainders of sin. “And although it works not at all, at least not sensibly, in them, towards those sins wherein it reigns and rages in others, “yet they are able to discern its more subtile, inward, and spiritual actings in the mind and heart, to the weakening of grace, the obstructing of its effectual operations in holy duties, with many indispositions unto stability in the life of God; which fills them with trouble.”

 — John Owen 

Sinclair Ferguson’s paraphrase: “There are actually only two pastoral problems you will ever encounter.

“The first is this: persuading those who are under the dominion of sin that they are under the dominion of sin. That’s the task of evangelism. “And [second], persuading those who are no longer under the dominion of sin that they are no longer under the dominion of sin because they are Christ’s.” — Sinclair Ferguson

Rest in Jesus

 You have, perhaps, dear reader, long been in want of the assurance that you are saved. But you have sought it in yourself, and not in Christ.

You have been searching for evidence amid the shadows and the taint of your own heart, the imperfect traces of your own doings, the varied exercises of your mind, and have sought them in vain. But now try the experiment―an experiment that has never failed one poor soul―of finding the evidence of your present salvation in a believing looking to a present Savior. Rest in Jesus from the burden and the guilt of sin; rest in Jesus from the conflict with doubt and fear; rest in Jesus from the fear of death and the dread of condemnation; rest in Jesus from your entire self; rest in His finished work, in His accepted sacrifice, in His boundless grace, in His unchanging love, and present intercession and your assurance will be built upon a rock, against which no force of Satan or unbelief shall ever prevail. Octavius Winslow (From Grace to Glory, p. 89)

I am His child still

 Though I may have backslidden... yet I have only to go back to my Father, and say, “Father, I have sinned,” and I am his child still, and he will fall upon my neck and kiss me, and I shall yet sit at his table, and hear music and dancing, because he that was lost is found.

--Spurgeon.

(I wish people would cite the source, I assume quotes are of the authors, though I don't know the bibliography of when and in what sermon/book it was said.)

Best Efforts Marred

 Our best efforts are marred with imperfect performance and impure motives. But God "sees" the righteousness of Christ He has imputed to us.

Jerry Bridges

Hope in God

 When we wonder what God is doing, we need to talk to ourselves:

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?" While not denying the harsh reality of our circumstances, we preach to ourselves a simple message: Hope in God. We put our hope in God when the pain is chronic, or the illness is incurable, when the persecution is unavoidable, or the relationship has turned poisonous. We put our hope in God when the days are oppressively gray, and sadness has set in like a thick fog, hiding all from view. We put our hope in God when the horror of sin overwhelms like a tsunami, when the foundations of society begin to crumble, and we fear for what the future might hold, when we begin to feel our own mortality with the passing of the years. We put our hope in God, remembering that “if He smiles on us, it is enough, though the whole world should be against us.” From The Heart Taken Up: 90 Days with the Puritans by Stephen Yuille — a 90-day devotional drawing on the richest Puritan writers to move truth from the head to the heart.

God's Refusals

"God's refusals are always mercies." -Elisabeth Elliot.

Chart by Jerry Bridges

Category (Old),Old Way of Law,

Category (New),New Way of Spirit

External Code,"1. The moral precepts of God are only an external code of conduct. The law commands obedience but provides no inclination or desire to obey."

,Internal Desire,"1. The moral precepts of God are written on our hearts as well as being an external code. The Spirit inclines our hearts and gives us a desire to obey."

Commanding,2. The law commands but gives no enabling power for obedience.,Enabling,2. The Spirit enables us to obey the law's commands.

Hostility,"3. Because of our hostility to God's law before our conversion, the commands of the law actually provoked and incited us to sin.",

Delight,"3. The Spirit, by removing our hostility and writing the law on our hearts, actually causes us to delight in God's law."

Fear,"4. The law produces a legalistic response to God. We try to obey because of a fear of punishment for disobedience or in order to win favor with God.",

Gratitude,"4. The Spirit, by showing us God's grace, produces a response of love and gratitude. We obey, not out of fear or to earn favor, but out of gratitude for favor already given."

Working,"5. Under the law, we perform in order to be accepted by God. Since our performance is always imperfect, we never feel completely accepted by Him.",

Relying,"5. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are accepted by God through the merit of Christ. By relying solely on His perfect righteousness, we feel accepted by Him."

We died to the law in order that we might live in the realm of grace. We died to the law that we might bear fruit to God. And according to Romans 7:6, we died that we might "serve [God] in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code [the law]."

Go to Sleep

“You are worrying and troubling yourself, and you can do nothing; go to sleep.” --Charles Spurgeon

Guilt-Laden Believers

**Pharisee-type believers** unconsciously think they've earned God's blessing through their behavior. **Guilt-laden believers** are sure they've forfeited God's blessing through disobedience or lack of discipline. Both have forgotten the meaning of grace — God's unmerited favor to those who deserve only His wrath.

Most of us probably entertain either of these attitudes on different days. On a good day (as we perceive it), we tend toward self-righteous Pharisaism. On a not-so-good day, we allow ourselves to wallow in a sense of failure and guilt. Either way we've moved away from the gospel of God's grace, trying to relate to God directly on the basis of our performance rather than through Christ.

-- Jerry Bridges

Sob and Lament

 “I sob and lament for that I cannot be rid of sin. I desire to live a more perfect life.”

-John Knox

Not saved because of faith

 "We are saved not because of faith but through faith. It is Christ not faith that saves us."

-Iain Murray.

God loves us

 “God does not love us because we are valuable, but we are valuable because God loves us.”

-Martin Luther

God Himself is Happiness and Peace

 God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

—C.S. Lewis

Floodgates of Infinite Love

 Through Christ's perfect righteousness, He has opened the floodgates of God’s infinite love and favor toward us.

-- Jerry Bridges

Lovingly Demonstrating Your Weaknesses

 “If I’m a Christian, why are there so many things that make my life so difficult? God is lovingly demonstrating to you your weakness.” 

-Paul Washer

There's so much pain. Why are there so many things that I can't overcome? So many things that make my life so difficult. It's to demonstrate to you, God is lovingly demonstrating to you your weakness. Not to leave you in your weakness, but so that you might run to him. And then there will be times when he will sustain you in power.

And then all of a sudden, it just leaves. Why? Once again, to remind you lovingly, not in judgment, not to hurt you, but lovingly to remind you lovingly, not in judgment, not to hurt you, but lovingly to remind you once again, you're forgetting that this life and power comes from communion with me. Everything is about communion with him.

-Paul Washer

Jesus' Bosom

 You may go to him as often as you will and may pour out your love into his bosom and may embrace him and lean with John on Jesus' bosom, and never shall be unwelcome, always will be well entertained.

--Jonathan Edwards

Christ will treat you not only with welcome but with dearness. When you are coming to him, he will run to meet you, to embrace you and will evermore treat you with as great love as you do him and far greater.

--Jonathan Edwards

You may solace yourself as much in his love as you will. 'Tis no presumption you may do it.

--Jonathan Edwards,

None can ever ask too much

 You are coming to a king— 


large petitions with you bring.
 

For his grace and pow'r are such,
 

none can ever ask too much. 

-- John Newton

Gladness to this Heart

 Thy works, not mine, O Christ,

Speak gladness to this heart;

They tell me all is done;

They bid my fear depart.

Horatius Bonar

He sees you clothed

 Has it yet gripped you that when God looks at you today He sees you clothed in the perfect, sinless obedience of His Son?

Jerry Bridges

All Scripture

“All scripture must be received as if God, appearing in person, visibly and full of majesty, were himself speaking.”

—John Calvin

He knew the Worst

"Nobody can produce new evidence of your depravity that will make God change his mind. For God justified you with (so to speak) his eyes open. He knew the worst about you at the time when he accepted you for Jesus' sake; and the verdict which he passed then was, and is, final."

J.I. Packer: Knowing God, p.273

Merciful Lord

Valley of Vision.  entry entitled, "Sins"  p.158.

MERCIFUL LORD,

Pardon all my sins of this day, week, year,

all the sins of my life,

sins of early, middle, and advanced years,

of omission and commission,

of morose, peevish and angry tempers,

of lip, life and walk,

of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption,

pride,

of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,

of want of bold decision in the cause of Christ

of deficiency in outspoken zeal for his glory,

of bringing dishonour upon thy great name,

of deception, injustice, untruthfulness

in my dealings with others,

of impurity in thought, word and deed,

of covetousness, which is idolatry,

of substance unduly hoarded, improvidently

squandered,

not consecrated to the glory of thee,

the great Giver;

sins in private and in the family,

in study and recreation, in the busy haunts

of men,

in the study of thy Word and in the neglect

of it,

in prayer irreverently offered and coldly

withheld,

in time misspent,

in yielding to Satan's wiles,

in opening my heart to his temptations,

in being unwatchful when I know him nigh,

Hein quenching the Holy Spirit;

sins against light and knowledge,

against conscience and the restraints

of thy Spirit,

against the law of eternal love.

Pardon all my sins, known and unknown,

felt and unfelt,

confessed and not confessed,

remembered or forgotten.

Good Lord, hear; and hearing, forgive.

I wear His Robes.

 I wear the righteousness of the Son of God. I do not come as I am.

Withdraw His Hand

 “If God should withdraw His hand a little, all things would immediately perish and dissolve into nothing.”

-John Calvin

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

 Satan is the Accuser. His work is to turn your eyes in on yourself and despair. The Spirit is the Comforter. His work is to turn your eyes to Jesus, the rest for our souls.

Michael Reeves

Long for the Appearing of Christ

 Before Christ was come, good people were known by the desire of his coming ... they waited for the consolation of Israel ... But now the first coming is past, they desire as much his second coming ... [and are] such as love and long for the appearing of Christ

- Richard Sibbes

All that Jesus Did

 We can accurately say that when Jesus lived a perfect life, we lived a perfect life. When He died on the cross to suffer the penalty of sin, we died on the cross. All that Jesus did, we did, because of our legal union with Him.

Jerry Bridges

The Hand of God in Everything

Ah, dear reader, there is no real rest for your poor heart until you learn to see the hand of God in everything. But for that, faith must be in constant exercise.
—Arthur W. Pink

Discipline

 THE DAILY ROUTINE OF JONATHAN EDWARDS

1.Early Rising and Prayer (4:00–5:00 AM) Edwards normally rose between four and five in the morning. The first moments of the day were spent in private prayer, meditation on Scripture, and quiet reflection. He believed the mind was clearest before the world became busy. 2.Morning Study and Sermon Preparation (5:00–11:00 AM) These hours were devoted to deep intellectual work. Edwards studied Scripture in the original languages, read theology and philosophy, and prepared sermons. This period formed the backbone of his ministry. 3.Midday Meal and Brief Refreshment (11:00–12:00) He ate lightly because he believed heavy meals dulled the mind. After eating he often walked briefly or rested so that his mind would remain sharp. 4.Pastoral Ministry and Counseling (12:00–5:00 PM) Afternoons were used for pastoral duties. This included counseling people concerned about their souls, meeting with church members, visiting the sick, preparing lectures, and answering theological questions. During revival seasons many visitors filled his study seeking guidance. 5.Solitary Horseback Meditation (Late Afternoon) Edwards frequently rode horseback alone. During these rides he meditated on theological ideas. When a thought occurred, he wrote it on a small paper and pinned it to his coat so he could expand it later. 6.Evening Meal and Family Time (Around 6:00 PM) Evenings began with time at home. His household was orderly and hospitable, largely due to the careful management of his wife Sarah. The family often shared spiritual conversation and devotion. 7.Evening Study and Writing (7:30–10:00 PM) Edwards returned to his study during the evening to organize sermons, write theological reflections, and develop his arguments. Many of his major writings began during these quiet hours. 8.Sleep and Preparation for the Next Day (Around 10:00 PM) He retired at a moderate hour so he could rise early again the next morning and maintain his disciplined routine. 9.Weekly Instruction of Children (Sabbath Morning) Each Sunday morning Edwards catechized the children of the church, teaching them Scripture and doctrine and often giving them questions that required Bible study. 10.Regular Physical Exercise To maintain health he often walked, rode horseback, or cut wood during winter. He believed physical activity helped keep the mind strong for study.

God Plans it All

 "It is God and not blind fate, not a fickle "fortune " (or misfortune), Who has placed you in the very situation which you now occupy. He is the one who planned from all eternity the very environment which you are now in.....recognize God's shaping hand in your present lot....humble yourself and be content with what God has appointed, and not chafe and murmur at it, for that is nothing but a species of rebellion against the providential will of God.....the very lot you find so hard to bear only provides a suitable opportunity for you to prove the sufficiency of God's grace."

~ Arthur Pink, “The Doctrine of Sanctification"

A little Thing

 A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in that little thing is a great thing.

James Hudson Taylor

Contentment

 Discontent is an ungrateful sin, because we have more mercies than afflictions; And it is an irrational sin, because afflictions work for good.

Thomas Watson

Prayer

 "Every prayer is long enough if it be fervent and proceed from a heart that understands the necessity of the saints.”

Martin Luther

We are not little sinners.

 “If you see yourself as a little sinner, you will see Jesus as a little Savior.”

-Martin Luther

Look to Christ Everyday

"I AM A POOR SINNER STILL. I HAVE TO LOOK TO CHRIST EVERYDAY AS I DID AT THE VERY FIRST."

-Charles Spurgeon

Christ is a Friend

 Christ is,

1. A universal friend 2. An almighty friend 3. An omniscient friend 4. An omnipresent friend 5. An indeficient friend 6. An independent friend 7. An unchangeable friend 8. A watchful friend 9. A tender and compassionate friend 10. A close and faithful friend Thomas Brooks

The Gospel Delivers

 The Law Demands.

The Gospel Delivers.

You should not believe

 “You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the Word.”

-Martin Luther

Charles Spurgeon

 Another class of ministers have preached the precepts and

little else. We want these men as we want the others, they

are all useful, and act as antidotes to each other, but their

ministries are not complete. If you hear preaching about

duty and command, it is very proper, but if it be the one sole

theme the teaching becomes very legal in the long run; and

after a while the true gospel which has the power to make us

keep the precept gets flung into the background, and the

precept is not kept after all. Do, do, do, generally ends in

nothing being done.

Spurgeon

The Man of One Subject

from Charles Haddon Spurgeon's sermon titled "The Man of One Subject", preached on October 31, 1875, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. It is based on 1 Corinthians 2:2 ("For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified").

Afraid of My Own Heart

 “I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals.

I have within me the great pope, Self.”

— Martin Luther —

{We do not have to "live in" fear, as our fears are removed by the promise, power, love, grace of Jesus}

God is Our Friend

“You cannot possibly love and obey God if you secretly think He is your enemy.” ~Walter Marshall

Run to Christ

 Now, when any fears, or darkness, or doubts, or disputes arise in your souls about your spiritual state, oh, then, run to Christ in the promise...and let your souls cleave close to the promise: for this is the way of ways to have ...your assurance raised and confirmed.

- Brooks

Call us Back

You never go away from us, 

yet we have difficulty in returning to You. 

Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. 

Kindle and seize us.

Be our fire and our sweetness. 

Let us love. Let us run.”

 St. Augustine

Line of Attack

 This one line of attack the devil pursues to the utmost against us, undertaking to break down our faith and confidence by the thought that God is angry with us.

- Martin Luther

Hastening Fast

 "We are hastening fast through time. Time is short, and eternity, with all its solemn realities, is before us. What is our life? How uncertain! and yet is it not awfully true that poor wretched man rushes heedlessly on, thoughtless of what awaits him in an endless eternity? We are traveling fast through this wilderness world, and soon shall pass away. Let us, then, feel more like pilgrims and strangers here. Let us not seek our rest where our precious Jesus had no place to lay His head. Let us rejoice more in the prospect of that glorious inheritance prepared for us above, where He is who has loved us unto the death. Oh, for ten thousand worlds would I not have my portion here in this wilderness!"

~ Mary Winslow 1774-1854 (mother of Octavius Winslow)

God's Mercy, Love, Promise

 "Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love, and the future to God's providence."

-Augustine

Main Cause of Fear

 …what after all, is the main cause of this spirit of fear? The answer is ‘self’ — self-love, self-concern, self-protection. Had you realized that the essence of this trouble is that these fearful people are really too absorbed in self — how can I do this, what if I fail? ‘I’ — they are constantly turning in upon themselves, looking at themselves and concerned about themselves.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Solely Because what Christ Did

 God accepts both a sinner who only believed in Christ five minutes ago, and a saint who has known and loved Him for eighty years, for He does not accept men because of anything they do or feel, but simply and solely because of what Christ did.

-- Charles Spurgeon.

This was a Spanish to English Translation on twitter, so I am not sure the exact wording in English, if the translator used approximations.

Look to Christ

 Whenever sin stings you, and objections trouble you, look to the brazen serpent; confess sin, and trust for pardon; meditate on Christ's righteousness, and the abundance of grace in him (Rom viii, 32).

--Walter Marshall.

The Only Happiness

 I find the only happiness is to lie down as a poor sinner at the feet of the once crucified, but now exalted Lamb of God, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification.

George Whitefield

All of us need Grace

 All of us need grace, the saint as well as the sinner. The most conscientious, dutiful, hardworking Christian needs God’s grace as much as the most dissolute, hard-living sinner. All of us need the same grace. The sinner doesn’t need more grace than the saint, nor does the immature and undisciplined believer need more than the godly, zealous missionary. We all need the same amount because the “currency” of our good works is debased and worthless before God.

-- Jerry Bridges

God's Grace

 God’s grace cuts both ways: It can neither be earned by your merit nor forfeited by your demerit.

-- Jerry Bridges.

You are free.

 “Either sin is lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God - and if it is resting on Christ, you are free."

-Martin Luther

After Ten Thousand Sins

 “After ten thousand sins he loves you as infinitely as ever.”

— Charles Spurgeon