The Good Of Souls - Anne Dutton

1692–1765

Her conversion story is deep and passionate. “The worth of mine own soul, as an immortal spirit, was strongly impressed upon my mind. Again, the misery of my natural estate was set before me, as a transgressor of the holy law: I thought all the curses in God’s book belonged to me. . . . This raised a cry in my soul (though I kept it as close as I could from others) ‘What must I do to be saved?’”

Anne was about thirteen years old at the time.

It was the early 1700s. Anne’s parents were good Congregationalists in Northampton, England. A few years after her personal decision to follow Christ, she started going to a Baptist church in town and benefited greatly from the preaching of Pastor John Moore. “The special advantage I received under his ministry was the establishment of my judgment in the doctrines of the gospel,” she wrote later.

That spiritual judgment would set her apart in the years to come. Writing books, teaching Bible classes, composing hymn texts and poems, and corresponding with a broad group of friends and acquaintances, Anne demonstrated deep insight about the Christian life. People sought her advice, and she freely dispensed it.

Anne believed firmly that women should not teach men, but she defended her writing ministry on several counts. First, she was writing for “only the glory of God, and the good of souls,” not to establish her own power or reputation. But she also likened her books to casual conversations. “Imagine then . . . when my books come to your houses, that I am come to give you a visit.” And she wondered in print how women could be forbidden to “tell of the wonders of his love, to seek the good of souls and the advancement of the Redeemer’s interest?”

With this sense of ministry, Anne felt empowered to comment on the religious trends of her day, writing gentle critiques and encouragement to popular preachers John Wesley and George Whitefield.

The world has changed greatly, but you might still wonder about your proper ministry within it. Follow Anne’s lead and speak courageously to support those around you, to “seek . . . the advancement of the Redeemer’s interest.”

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Ephesians 4:29