The name Robert Boyle may invoke the image of a bewigged gentleman with long curly locks, or perhaps the gas equation from your chemistry course. However, this early father of modern chemistry was also a supremely devoted follower of Jesus who blazed a scientific trail to defend his faith.

<p>The name Robert Boyle may invoke the image of a bewigged gentleman with long curly locks, or perhaps the gas equation from your chemistry course. However, this early father of modern chemistry was also a supremely devoted follower of Jesus who blazed a scientific trail to defend his faith.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Great in God's Sight Season 2

Rhonda Grakov

Johannes Kepler: Thinking God’s Thoughts

Blaise Pascal: Where Faith and Reason Intersect

Sir Robert Boyle: Christian Virtuoso

Sir Isaac Newton: On the Shores of the Ocean of Truth

The Celestial Railroad: Part 1

The Celestial Railroad: Part 2

The Celestial Railroad: Part 3

The Celestial Railroad: Part 4

Johann Sebastian Bach: This Art Still Lives

John Bunyan: Progress in Prison


Hello and welcome to Greating God's Sight, the podcast that explores underrated heroes. This is Season 2, and we're so glad you've joined us for this episode entitled, Sir Robert Boyle, Christian Virtuoso. Please be sure to subscribe and check out the terrific artwork that goes along with today's story on our website thegreatpodcast.org Thanks for listening Bolt after bolt of lightning creased the sky illuminating a terrified boy on his bed. The roaring thunder, pounding raindrops, and wild wind only served to heighten his terror. To him, the incessant Flashes of light appeared to be outbursts of fire from the very depths of hell.

Had the day of judgment arrived? Although he was not wild and headstrong like the rest of his brothers, young Robert Boyle knew he was wholly unprepared for the judgment. So amid that awful tempest, he solemnly vowed that the rest of his life would belong to Christ. When morning came and cloudless skies reappeared, Robert ratified the pledge he had made in the night. Despite being only 13 years old at the time of his conversion, Robert Boyle had already been through a good deal in life.

He was born in 1627 at Lismore Castle in Ireland. Although his father, the Earl of Cork, was the wealthiest man in the kingdom, Robert did not experience a pampered childhood. As soon as baby Robert was old enough to leave his mother, his father sent him off into the countryside to live with a peasant family. Here he grew strong and ruddy, but unfortunately 1 of the country children had a stutter, which Robert began to imitate and quickly picked up. This stutter would plague him for the rest of his life.

However, an even greater tragedy during this time was the death of his mother from tuberculosis, which left a profound void in Robert's childhood. After 4 years in the countryside, Robert returned home. After a while, he was shipped off to England to study at Eton College with his older brother, Francis. Robert thrived in school. He was intensely studious and had a mild, reserved personality.

While the other fellows were playing sports, Robert would go off by himself and read. After 3 years at Eton, Robert and Francis returned home, but not for long. After a few months, they left for continental Europe, accompanied by their French Huguenot tutor, who firmly grounded Robert in both academic and Christian knowledge. After traveling through France on horseback and touring Paris, the trio moved on to Switzerland. They stayed in Geneva with the Tudor's family for 2 years and it was during a storm there in Geneva that Robert Boyle decided to become a committed Christian.

While touring the Alps soon after his conversion, young Robert became deeply depressed. Although we don't know precisely what troubled him, Robert later wrote in his autobiography that he was continually plagued by distressing doubts concerning some of the fundamental principles of Christianity. In fact, he was in such agony of mind that for a brief season he considered ending his life. After several months of anguish, Robert was in church, and as he took part in the communion, he sensed God's presence very near and his spirit restored. Although doubt continued to bother him on occasion, Robert realized that these religious anxieties were distractions from the devil to discourage him, but that he could use them as stepping stones to dig deeper into his faith.

He once wrote, Though we cannot always give a reason for what we believe, we should be ever able to give a reason why we believe it. And at the age of 20 he penned this insightful aphorism, He whose faith never doubted, may justly doubt of his faith. As a result of the Irish Rebellion in 1641, the Boyle family lost their Irish estates and much of their wealth. The Earl of Cork sent for his 2 sons to return to England, But as they were making their way back, Robert fell ill and was not able to return home for another 2 years. When he finally arrived in London, Robert discovered that his father and 2 of his brothers had died, and the rest of his relatives were scattered throughout the kingdom.

For the next few years, Robert lived alone at the old family manor, where he began writing various treatises and essays on morality. In fact, he became rather well known for his religious and ethical works. Besides writing, Robert took time to read and study. Personal devotions were a staple in his morning routine, but he also studied several ancient biblical languages and sought out Jewish scholars to help him understand Hebrew culture. He read a wide range of literature and was well-versed on the popular subjects of the day, but he became alarmed at the skepticism and excessive rationalism he saw growing among the intellectuals.

1 group of thinkers, called Socinians, seemed particularly sinister. They overemphasized reason at the expense of divine revelation. They insisted that the Bible must submit to reason, while Boyle, on the other hand, believed that reason must be subordinate to the scriptures. As Boyle considered the pandemic a fashionable unbelief, he began to regard experimentation as a way to check the excessive emphasis on reason. He felt that experimental learning would be much more effective against atheism than mere scholastic discussion.

He wanted to prove that human logic and reasoning were not the ultimate solution to every problem. During the past few years, Boyle had experienced a growing interest in mathematics and the natural world. And now, as part of a grand scheme to defend his faith in God, Robert began to transform himself into a scientist. He set up a laboratory in his house and began designing and conducting simple experiments. While Robert was in London visiting his sister, he met a group of like-minded scientists who called themselves the Invisible College.

He began corresponding with them, and under their influence, his scientific career accelerated dramatically. They, in turn, were impressed by his profundity as a thinker and by his insistence on pursuing a matter until he had penetrated its very core. Eventually, in 1654, Robert decided to move to Oxford, not to study or teach, but to be closer to his friends from the invisible college. It was here at Oxford that Robert Boyle blossomed as a chemist. He set up a new laboratory and found a German scientist to mentor him.

In time, he hired young Robert Hooke, who would later become a renowned scientist in his own right, as his assistant. Throughout the next decade, Boyle made several major discoveries, and some have styled him as the father of modern chemistry. Even elementary school students nowadays have heard of Boyle's Law, which relates the pressure and volume of a gas. Robert Boyle wrote extensively on his scientific work, but he continued to promote Christ's cause through his writings. He never lost sight of his purpose to raise man's mind toward God through his research.

Even the Lord Chancellor of England noted Robert's dedication and invited him to become an ordained minister. However, Boyle declined because he believed his witness would be less effective as a paid clergyman than as a Christian scientist. Other honors were offered to Sir Robert Boyle. He was nominated to become the provost of Eton College and later, the President of the Royal Society. Although he was flattered by the recognition, he declined both offers because his religious convictions did not permit him to take any oath, even an oath of office.

However, Sir Robert was very active in other organizations. He had a passion for spreading the gospel beyond England, and in 1661, he became President of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England. Additionally, he personally helped fund the translation and distribution of Bibles in the Algonquin, Gaelic, Malayan, Arabic, and Turkish languages. Also, from his position on the board of directors of the British East Indies Company, he urged his associates to promote the gospel in that faraway region of the world. He was a true Christian at home as well.

A close friend would say after his death that Boyle had the profoundest veneration for the great God of heaven and earth that I have ever observed in any person and That his charity to those that were in want was so very extraordinary For he considered himself as part of the human nature and as a debtor to the whole race of men This same friend also went on to say, When he differed from any, he expressed himself in so humble and so obliging a way, that he never treated things or persons with neglect, and I never heard that he offended any 1 person in his whole life by any part of his deportment. At the age of forty-one, Boyle moved in with his sister in London. In the privacy of his heart, he still struggled occasionally, especially with the fear that he had committed the unpardonable sin. However, he refused to allow the doubts to tear him away from Christ. 2 years after the move to London, Sir Robert suffered a severe stroke.

Many were sure his death was imminent, but he clung to life. After many months, he finally recovered from the paralysis and continued his research and writing for yet another 20 years until his death in 1691. I am not a Christian because it is the religion of my country and my friends, Sir Robert Boyle once confessed. When I choose to travel in the beaten road, tis not because I find tis the road, but because I judge tis the way." Thank you for listening to Great in God's Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time, and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God.

While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself. Please remember to Hit the subscribe button and share this episode with your friends via text or social media. You never know who might be encouraged! Until next time, we wish you God's blessing as You

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Series

Great in God's Sight Season 2

Sir Robert Boyle: Christian Virtuoso

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Parent Series

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Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

Johannes Kepler: Thinking God’s Thoughts

11m

Blaise Pascal: Where Faith and Reason Intersect

10m

Sir Robert Boyle: Christian Virtuoso

11m

Sir Isaac Newton: On the Shores of the Ocean of Truth

11m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 1

13m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 2

13m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 3

11m

The Celestial Railroad: Part 4

13m

Johann Sebastian Bach: This Art Still Lives

13m

John Bunyan: Progress in Prison

9m

Sound Doctrine