The Renewed Bride

When Margaret Hanmer was forced by her mother to move to the poor, unremarkable town of Kidderminster in 1655, she was not looking for God. As a privileged teenager fresh from the trauma of the English civil wars, Margaret longed for pleasure and elegance not the spiritual rigors of Puritan life. But in this unlikely town, under the ministry of Richard Baxter, her heart would be transformed from one of rebellion to one of resolute faith. Her journey is one of the most compelling stories of grace, sanctification, and sacrificial service in the annals of Christian history.

A Heart Far from God

Margaret arrived in Kidderminster with disdain. Her mother, Mary Hanmer, a wealthy widow, had moved there specifically to sit under the preaching of the renowned Puritan pastor Richard Baxter. Known for revitalizing the town with the gospel replacing drunken homes with prayer-filled ones Baxter had earned deep admiration from godly believers.

But Margaret saw none of this. The town was drab, the people poor, and the social life nonexistent. She tried to rise above it by dressing extravagantly and asserting her aristocratic distance. She had no interest in spiritual things and regarded Baxter’s fervent preaching with coldness.

Yet the Word, “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), began to do its work. Though she attended services merely out of obligation, Baxter’s relentless calls to repentance slowly began to pierce her heart. Conviction set in. Her diary reveals that she saw in herself pride, vanity, selfishness, and a callous disregard for God. This was the beginning of a new life.

A Life Turned Godward

Over time, Margaret’s hard heart softened. She began to spend time in Scripture and prayer. She repented of her condescension toward her impoverished neighbors and developed a hunger for holiness. In private writings discovered only after her death, she lamented not displaying the ten marks of one who has the Spirit of Christ words of genuine self-examination and deep yearning for transformation.

When she fell critically ill in her early twenties, the community that had once seemed so backward now rallied in prayer and fasting for her recovery. God spared her life, and Margaret responded with gratitude, sending seven specific praises and multiple prayer requests to the church. Her requests were not for ease or health, but for a tender conscience, humility, and strength to endure coming trials evidence of a faith made real through suffering.

She even penned a personal covenant with God, pledging to keep alive both a sense of divine mercy and the weight of her own sin. Her faith was not passive; it was earnest and resolute.

A Marriage of Mission

In 1660, the monarchy was restored in England, and with it, the Church of England. Baxter moved to London in hopes of influencing the Church from within. Margaret and her mother followed him, but Mary died soon after. Alone in London, Margaret would soon become part of a union that shocked society.

Baxter, then 47, had long believed that pastoral ministry left no room for marriage. But after being ejected from public ministry by the Act of Uniformity in 1662, he reconsidered. That same year, he married Margaret, who was just 23. The match stirred gossip she had wealth, he had none but the partnership proved a powerful union for the gospel.

Margaret stood by him through persecution, imprisonment, and exile. When Baxter was jailed for preaching, Margaret insisted on joining him. She supported his ministry with her resources, funding literature distribution, hiring buildings, and even constructing meeting houses when public preaching was illegal.

Baxter himself said of her, “She was better at resolving a case of conscience than most divines that ever I knew in all my life.” Her wisdom was not ornamental it was functional, spiritual, and powerful.

A Life Poured Out

Margaret’s days were marked by service. She cared for the poor, opened her home for illegal worship gatherings, and made herself available to her neighbors in both joy and sorrow. Yet, she suffered greatly physically, emotionally, and mentally. Her zeal often exceeded her strength, and her perfectionist nature wore heavily on her.

In 1681, after twelve days of agonizing illness, Margaret died at the young age of 42. Richard Baxter, devastated by the loss, immediately penned a memoir honoring her life. He candidly acknowledged her struggles with fear and anxiety but celebrated her unwavering commitment to Christ and compassion for others.

Their marriage, though forged in adversity, was deeply affectionate and spiritually fruitful. Baxter’s tribute to Margaret has endured for over three centuries as a portrait of a godly wife, a faithful servant, and a woman whose life was wholly devoted to the kingdom of God.

A Legacy That Endures

Margaret Baxter’s story speaks powerfully to a modern age that often celebrates self-expression over self-denial. Once a self-focused aristocrat, she became a woman who poured out her wealth, energy, and very life for the sake of Christ. Her journals reveal a heart constantly searching for deeper intimacy with God, and her actions displayed a bold, practical faith.

Today, many Christians seek examples of godly femininity and sacrificial service. Margaret’s story answers that call not with a sanitized, idealized portrait, but with the real-life journey of a sinner turned saint. Her life is a reminder that no heart is too hard, no past too proud, and no calling too obscure for God to redeem and use for His glory.

A 2023 study by the Barna Group showed that over 60% of young adults feel spiritually adrift and are seeking tangible examples of faith lived out. Stories like Margaret’s provide not only inspiration but guidance: transformation is possible, and it begins with repentance, deep humility, and a willingness to follow Christ wherever He leads.

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