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Frank W. Boreham
Frank W. Boreham (March 3, 1871 – May 18, 1959) was a British-born preacher, pastor, and author whose ministry within the Baptist tradition spanned over six decades, captivating audiences with narrative sermons and prolific writings. Born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, to Francis Boreham, a solicitor’s clerk, and Fanny Usher, he was the eldest of ten children in a devout Anglican family that later attended a non-conformist church. Converted on New Year’s Day 1888 at 16 after hearing Dwight L. Moody in London, he trained at Spurgeon’s Pastors’ College—likely the last student personally admitted by Charles Spurgeon—graduating in 1894 before sailing to New Zealand in 1895. Boreham’s preaching career began at Mosgiel Baptist Church near Dunedin, New Zealand (1895–1906), followed by pastorates at Hobart Baptist Tabernacle in Tasmania (1906–1916) and Armadale and Kew Baptist Churches in Melbourne, Australia (1916–1928). His sermons, blending storytelling with biblical truth, drew crowds and filled newspapers, as he wrote over 3,000 editorials for the Hobart Mercury and Melbourne Age. Author of 55 books, including A Bunch of Everlastings and The Luggage of Life, he preached on “immensities, infinities, and eternities,” influencing figures like Billy Graham, who visited him in 1959. Married to Stella Cottee in 1896, whom he met as a student preacher, they had five children—Stella, Esther, Frank, Rachel, and John. Boreham died at age 88 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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In this sermon by Frank W. Boreham, he delves into the profound meaning behind the words of Jesus, 'Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted' (Matthew 5:4). Boreham emphasizes the importance of maintaining sensitivity and avoiding becoming desensitized to the pain and suffering around us. He highlights the genuine and heartfelt grief that leads to true blessedness, contrasting it with superficial expressions of sympathy.
The Heart That Mourns
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matt. 5:4). Blessed are they that mourn! the Saviour says; and I think that I begin to understand him. "Blessed are those who feel" he seems to say. The tendency is to become insensitive. We get used to things. Our susceptibilities become seared. The doctor, who nearly fainted at his first operation, learns in time to look upon pain without emotion. The minister is so much among the sorrowing and the bereaved that he is in peril of regarding the tears of the mourner with professional nonchalance. He takes them for granted. It is not easy under such conditions to keep the spirit fresh and the heart tender. Blessed are they that mourn! Mourning implies a soft, copious, heartfelt grief--a grief that has broken all restraint and finds relief in welcome floods of tears. There is all the difference in the world between a keen, cutting wind with just a dash of rain in it, and a warm tropical shower. There is just the same difference between the stiff and formal expression of our sympathy and the deep and heartfelt sorrow that is the earnest and surety of real blessedness. Unless we are constantly on our guard against it, we are all in danger of being drawn into the horrible vortex of insensibility.
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Frank W. Boreham (March 3, 1871 – May 18, 1959) was a British-born preacher, pastor, and author whose ministry within the Baptist tradition spanned over six decades, captivating audiences with narrative sermons and prolific writings. Born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, to Francis Boreham, a solicitor’s clerk, and Fanny Usher, he was the eldest of ten children in a devout Anglican family that later attended a non-conformist church. Converted on New Year’s Day 1888 at 16 after hearing Dwight L. Moody in London, he trained at Spurgeon’s Pastors’ College—likely the last student personally admitted by Charles Spurgeon—graduating in 1894 before sailing to New Zealand in 1895. Boreham’s preaching career began at Mosgiel Baptist Church near Dunedin, New Zealand (1895–1906), followed by pastorates at Hobart Baptist Tabernacle in Tasmania (1906–1916) and Armadale and Kew Baptist Churches in Melbourne, Australia (1916–1928). His sermons, blending storytelling with biblical truth, drew crowds and filled newspapers, as he wrote over 3,000 editorials for the Hobart Mercury and Melbourne Age. Author of 55 books, including A Bunch of Everlastings and The Luggage of Life, he preached on “immensities, infinities, and eternities,” influencing figures like Billy Graham, who visited him in 1959. Married to Stella Cottee in 1896, whom he met as a student preacher, they had five children—Stella, Esther, Frank, Rachel, and John. Boreham died at age 88 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.