Henry Grattan Guinness – birth, Aug. 11, 1835

“I do now most heartily desire to live but

to exalt Jesus; to live preaching and to

die preaching; to preach to perishing

sinners till I drop down dead.” 

                                                              – Henry Grattan Guinness

 

Henry Grattan Guinness was born this date, 8/11/1835, in Kingstown In Taney, Dublin, Ireland.  He was converted to Christ 1855 and began preaching that same year.  In 1860 he married Fanny E. Fitzgerald.

 

In a separate work of grace he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  So great was the blessing that came to him then that, he wrote, “I sought solitary places in the woods where I could pour out my soul in prayer, with strong crying and tears.  Old things passed away, and all things became new.  How could I keep silence, knowing as I did, that those around me (inIreland) were utterly ignorant of the salvation in which I was rejoicing, and most of them abject slaves of Roman superstition.”

 

Judges, members of Parliament, orators, Fellows of College, lights of the various professions, the rank and fashion of the metropolis came to hear him preach Christ.

 

“One priest threatened that I should be treated like Mr. Sprong, who had been shot at two months previously.”  But he went on preaching and wrote “Many of the poor Roman Catholics in the neighborhood seem deeply impressed by the message of the Gospel and tears sometimes stole down their faces.”

 

Henry and his wife Fanny started the famous East London Missionary Training Institute (also called Harley College).  He was thus responsible for training and sending hundreds of “faith missionaries” all over the world.  He passed away 6/21/1910.  Seven of his children entered Christian ministry.

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