Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine,

FOR DECEMBER, 1826.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF MR. EDWARD STANLEY,
Of Alnwick, in Northumberland: 7

BY HIS SON, THE REV. JACOB STANLEY,

THE late Mr. Stanley was born September 10th, 1737. His parents were members of the Church of England, strictly moral in their lives, punctual in their attendance on the public worship of God, and zealous in enforcing the same attendance on their children. It does not, however, appeat, that they possessed more than the form of godliness; indeed, to its power, as will be seen in a subsequent part of this Memoir, they were not only strangers, but also enemies. But his grandfather, a member of the Church of Scotland, was a truly exemplary Christian, the fervour of whose private devotions was often witnessed by his grandson when yet a child; and these made an impression upon his youthful mind which was never obliterated. This was especially the case in the year 1745, when the Pretender, with his rebel army, was expected to lay siege to Alnwick. Then, with peculiar earnestness, he used to commend his family to the divine protection: and no evil befel them; for, contrary to all expectation, the army took the western road, and did not venture to approach the ancient castle of Northumberland, once the residence of the valiant and heroic Hotspur.

At this time, the state of religion in most parts of the kingdom was awfully low. The glory had long departed from almost all the pulpits in the land; and instead of an enlightened, faithful, and zealous ministry, a ministry of reconciliation, exhibiting the riches of divine grace to a perishing world, there were substituted dry metaphysical subtleties, or a bald and heathenish morality. Such a ministry spread a spiritual death through the country. The Liturgy of the Church of England was indeed read in every parish in the land; but the reading of a Liturgy, however excellent, and in other respects useful, is not the means which God usually honours in the conversion of sinners. In proof of this, let those parishes be explored which have not been favoured with an evangelical ministry; and in them ignorance and vice will be generally found to hold their unmolested reign.

Such was the state of the nation in general, when the Wesleys and VOL. V. Third Series. DECEMBER, 1826.

3 L

Whitefield went forth prophesying in "the valley of dry bones." Of these the Lord soon raised up sons, to labour in the word and doctrinė, who in their turn were instrumental in raising up many others to spiritual life and activity. The first Methodist Preacher that visited Alnwick, was Mr. John Trembath, a man of great eloquence and zeal, and whose word made a powerful impression on the minds of many. It was under his ministry in the open air, that the subject of this Memoir, though but a child, was powerfully excited to seek the Lord. He heard Mr. Trembath whenever he preached; and so attached was he to him, that he thought he could follow him wherever he went, and cheerfully share in all his trials. These impressions were not lasting; youthful temptations presented themselves, and he yielded to their influence. He did not, indeed, for some time entirely forsake the ministry of the word; but neither did he forsake his sins. His fondness for cards proved a great snare to him; and the more so, as he was such an adept in them as generally to be the winner. Such was his love for them that he often regretted there was any Sabbath to interrupt his pleasure; for though he was not pious, he would have been shocked at the thought of such a profanation of the Sabbath, as that of playing a game at cards during its sacred hours.

Yet he was not happy, but often found “a pained mind.” He felt that there was something wanting, and something wrong. Happiness he had not; and the question, "What will the end be?" not unfrequently made him miserable. His mental anguish, however, he generally suc ceeded in alleviating, in some degree, by comparing himself with others, who, in his opinion, were worse than himself. He was not, indeed, so good as he ought to be; but then there were many who were much worse. He could not say with the Pharisee, "I fast twice in the week;" but with him he could say, "I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican.". And he thought that if he did not get to heaven, what would become of the great majority of mankind? Thus he moderated, but could never annihilate, his fears.

In the sixteenth year of his age, after a long absence from the place where the Methodists worshipped, he was attracted thither by the excellence of their singing; a department of religious worship in which that Society, within the memory of the writer of this Memoir, greatly excelled. At first the word produced no effect; but before he had attended many times, it came with power to his conscience. His good opinion of himself was slain, and he became eyes;" and the Publican's prayer was his. with various and distressing temptations. grace was past. "I thought," he says, Lord's dealings with him, now before me, "I thought that had I begun to seek the Lord at an earlier period I might have found mercy; but that

"

poor and vile in his own But now he was exercised One was,-that the day of in a short-account of the

now it was too late." A temptation this, which is perhaps not more painful than common; and which is grafted chiefly, if not entirely, upon a solitary text, (Gen. vi. 3,) that is applied to the Antediluvians, with reference to their temporal destruction; and is utterly at variance with the fact, that the present life, not a part of it merely, is a state of probation; as also with the universal exhortations, invitations, and promises of the Gospel, without any exceptions of age, or circumstances, or character.

He sought the Lord for two years, before he obtained a direct evidence of his interest in Christ. This arose principally from two causes: First, the doubts with which his mind was harassed, as to the attainableness of conscious pardon. This doctrine, though it is both in the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, was new to him: it was neither preached in the Church nor Meeting, but by Methodist Preachers only; who by the Clergyman of the parish were said to be the false prophets, that were to appear in the latter days. His distress, indeed, led him earnestly to pray for pardon; but his doubts, as to the possibility of obtaining so great a blessing in this world, hindered him from praying, "believing that he should receive." A second hinderance was,-his ignorance of the way of faith. Instead of coming to God as the justifier of the ungodly, he tried to improve himself; and hoped by fastings, and prayer, and good works, to render himself acceptable to God. But at length, finding that all his efforts to save himself were vain, he fled to Jesus for refuge. He had, as he supposed, been "rich, and increased in goods;" but now, being "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," having nothing wherein to trust, he "trusted in Christ;" who gave himself for him, even for him,-and he was then "sealed with the Spirit of promise."

Being joined to the Lord, he became a member of his Church. Had he availed himself of the benefit of religious society immediately upon his beginning to seek the Lord, two years before, the probability is, that he would not have walked in darkness so long. The reason why he did not, was, a deep consciousness of his own ignorance. He says, "I saw myself to be one of the most ignorant creatures that ever lived, and was afraid to converse with any of the people of God. This led me to stand aloof from them, for nearly two years." In the year 1755, he was united to the Methodist Society in Alnwick, of which he continued a consistent and useful member, through all its fluctuations, to the period. of his dissolution.

From the time that he began to be in earnest for the salvation of his soul, he was violently opposed by his parents and by others. He says, "My father and mother were greatly opposed to my going among the Methodists. They used very strong and reproachful language against them indeed, at that time, it was common to say all manuer of evil

of them. I used to go to their meetings like Nicodemus, in the dark, that I might not be seen by my friends; but on one of those nights, on my return, I was met by my father, who asked where I had been. I told him that I had been to the Methodist meeting ;-for I durst not tell an untruth, whatever might be the consequence ;-at which he was so enraged, that he fell upon me most furiously, and said many and bitter things against me. I asked why he so cruelly treated me? He replied, it was because I would not cease from going among those deceived people, the Methodists. I said, Father, when I was living in a course of sin and rebellion against the Lord, you suffered me to go on quietly; then you never spoke against me; but now, having a desire to save my soul, you do all you can to hinder me. But I am determined to serve the Lord, whatever may be the consequence."" His firmness put an end to all violent opposition from that quarter.

Soon after he had found the pearl of great price, he thought that it was no longer necessary for him to watch, and pray, and labour, as he had done; but he soon perceived his mistake: for " I found," says he, "that my love to God began to decline, and I saw the necessity of giving all diligence to make my calling and election sure." He knew that the good work in his soul was begun ; but,-though St. Paul had expressed a confident hope of the completion of that work in the hearts of the Philippians, who had firmly endured a great fight of affliction, and had shared in his sufferings, he did not know whether it would be carried on in him; for he not only believed, that

"The life of faith

Loses in joy and rapture by each fall ;"

but also, that a man possessed even of the piety of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, unless he "keep his body under," would, after all," become a castaway;" and not thinking himself farther advanced in piety than the Apostle, he thought it right to act upon his advice.

About this time there was a considerable revival of religion in Aluwick, chiefly under the ministry of Mr. William Darney; a man possessing few personal attractions, of a broad Scottish dialect, and, when dwelling on the terrors of the Lord, terrible to behold; but a man of deep piety, strong sense, and burning zeal, with a courage that fearlessly defied all opposition. There was a rich vein of evangelical truth in his preaching, often delivered with the quaintness of some of the old Puritan Preachers, which pleased and profited many. Perhaps, too, his popularity was not lessened by his frequently, at the close of his sermon, giving out an extemporary hymn, adapted to the subject upon which he had been discoursing. The poetry of these extemporaneous effusions was not indeed of the first class, but it interested the people, and his preaching was made

the power of God to the salvation of many. This roused the wicked to opposition; and among the rest a company of strolling players, who happened to be at Alnwick, and who prepared a play against the Methodists; in which Mr. Darney and the leading Members of the Society were to perform their several parts. The late Messrs. William Ferguson, who afterwards settled in London and in Holland, Thomas Gibson, Luke Matthison, and the subject of this memoir, each had a part assigned to him. The play, however, though the bills were printed and circulated, for some reason, which at this distance of time is not known, was never acted. Soon after this, as Mr. Darney was riding past their temporary theatre, (a barn fitted up for the purpose of exhibition,) the players, who were lounging and basking in the sun, said, in a tone sufficiently loud for him to hear, "Here is Scotch Will; let us mob him." On hearing this, Mr. Darney, who was a man of prodigious size, and, when he chose, of a terrific countenance, being mounted on a very spirited horse, immediately rode up to them, and, making his horse stand upon its hinder feet, at the same time elevating his whip, he said, with a voice of thunder," Ye sons of Belial, come on." The poor actors were horribly afraid; and were thankful to atone for their insolence by their individually begging his pardon and promising to behave better ever after. This they were careful to do; for no one after this ventured to insult him. I have heard Mr. Stanley relate many interesting anecdotes of this extraordinary man, one of which I shall here record. One day, when travelling somewhere in the Dales, in company with a few pious friends, speaking on the subject of temptation, he said, "I don't know what to think; for I have had no trouble from the wicked one for some time;" when suddenly his horse plunged into a bog, and threw to the ground both him and the female friend who rode on a pillion behind. Being rescued from the bog, his companions rode forward to the first farmhouse in that neighbourhood, and requested permission for two of their friends, who had met with an accident, to dry their clothes. Permission was readily granted; and having arrived, Mr. Darney, instead of going near the fire, 'said, "Let us pray." They all kneeled down, and he prayed. After rising from his knees, he paced the room in silence for some time, when at length he again said, "Let us pray." After rising a second time, the farmer said, addressing himself to Mr. Darney, "You shall not leave my house this night; for there is something in you which I never saw in any man before." "Say you so?" said Mr. Darney; "then go and invite all your neighbours, and I will preach to them." He did so; and the power of the Lord was manifested in the awakening of many souls. So greatly was this accident overruled for good. Soon after Mr. Stanley had experienced the power of godliness in his own soul, he was desirous that others should enjoy the same blessing.