Octavius Winslow was born in New York, but his ministry was largely in England. He was one of the leading Baptist ministers of the 19th century, largely due to the devotional earnestness and the practical excellence of his writings. Winslow was prolific, authoring more than forty books. He was also a noted speaker, giving the address for the opening of Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tablernacle in 1861. Winslow clung to the theology of the old Puritans. His life was devoted to the promotion of an experimental knowledge of the precious truths of God.