Samuel Stillman was born on this day in 1737. The first eleven years of his life were spent in Philadelphia, after which he resided in Charleston, South Carolina. There he came under the gospel preaching of Oliver Hart. Still in his youth he saw himself as a sinner before God, before trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Almost immediately he felt the call of God to preach the gospel. He received his theological training under his pastor. In 1759 he was ordained and took charge of the Baptist church on James’ Island, near Charleston. When his health began to fail under the hot climate of the Carolinas, he moved to Bordentown, New Jersey. Then in January of 1765, he was invited to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Boston. As you may know, Massachusetts was becoming a hot-bed of revolutionary activities, and Elder Stillman was caught in the middle, but he kept his ministry focused on Christ. Governor John Hancock and General Henry Knox often attended the services at First Baptist. And in 1776 John Adams wrote to his wife, “Went this morning to the Baptist meeting in hopes of hearing Mr. Stillman preach, but was disappointed. He was there, but another gentleman preached.”
Samuel Stillman died on March 12, 1807. Reportedly his last words were “God’s government is infinitely perfect.”
