Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine,

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1833.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. THOMAS STANLEY:

BY HIS BROTHER, THE REV. JACOB STANLEY.

THE subject of this memoir was for many years in the habit of making brief memoranda of such occurrences as seemed most worthy of being recorded. They were like so many pillars to remind him of the way by which the Lord had led him in the wilderness, on which were inscribed those gracious acts which he wished to be held in everlasting remembrance. In the year 1809 he resolved, for his own spiritual profit, to collect these together, and write a continuous narrative of his life. The following are his own words :-

'Leeds, March 7th, 1809.

"For my own profit, I have often thought of writing some account of myself, and of the Lord's dispensations towards me; but an unaccountable degree of backwardness to write has hitherto prevented me from entering upon a work which, I am persuaded, would yield me both pleasure and pain. To-day, however, I have come to a determination to shake off every hinderance, and begin it; which, if the Lord spare me, shall be continued till completed."

1

But this resolution, I regret to state, was not fulfilled. Instead of being regularly continued to the close of his life, which appears to have been his intention, it terminates in the year 1801. After this period we but no consecutive

have some scattered fragments in pocket-books, history.

He was born June 11th, 1773, at Alnwick, in the county of Northumberland; and was blessed with pious parents, who laboured, both by precept and example, to “bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." His father was one of the first generation of Methodists in that part of the kingdom, and continued, amidst all the persecutions and fluctuations of Methodism, à consistently pious member for more than seventy years, and a zealous and useful Local Preacher and Class-Leader for upwards of sixty-five. He died in his eighty-ninth year, of apoplexy, with which he was seized in the chapel, on the Sabbath evening, while engaged in singing the praises of God.

When a boy, Thomas was remarkably volatile, and sometimes rather mischievous; which, together with his associating with others like himself, but who were not, like him, favoured with religious instruction, often deeply grieved and seriously alarmed his parents. They thought they beheld in him the germ of a youth of profligacy and a life of irreligion. But their fears were not permitted to be of long continuance; for it VOL. XII. Third Series SEPTEMBER, 1833. 2 U

pleased God, when within a month of completing his thirteenth year, to bring him to himself.

The happy death of his uncle, John Stanley, who had manifested great affection towards him, and great solicitude for his salvation, was instrumentally the proximate cause of his conversion. After being for about a fortnight"unutterably full of glory and of God," his dying words were, Christ is precious, Christ is precious! I am going to be with Christ for ever." This happy and triumphant death was not only made a blessing to Thomas, but also to many others, most of whom have already finished their course.

61

He immediately forsook all his former companions, became a member of the Methodist society, and the associate of those only who feared the Lord. He felt that he was a sinner, and that he needed a Saviour, whom he diligently sought, and in whose pardoning love he was soon enabled to rejoice. His chief companions at this time were Edward and John B., two very pious youths with whom he met in band, and who were mutually helpful to each other. In addition to their band-meeting, they frequently met together for prayer and reading the Scriptures, and mutual exhortation. They were all very simple and sincere, and God greatly blessed those meetings to the increase of their religious knowledge, and piety, and comfort. Referring to this period, he says, “The recollection of those days gives me much pleasure, and I can now see the large oak under whose shade we used to meet. These were happy times!"

About this time he was articled to a master of dissolute habits, with whom he had no comfort. Indeed such was the wretchedness of his situation, that his father took him away, and compelled his master to cancel the indenture, and release him. Being desirous of seeing the world, and of improving himself in his business, and a situation at that time offering itself, he, in his seventeenth year, with the approbation of his parents, left home to reside at Bourne in Lincolnshire. In that town there were no Methodists, and in his master's house there was no religion. This was a situation utterly unsuited to his taste. On the Sabbath-day especially was he depressed. He used to walk the fields alone, and, like the captive Jews in Babylon, think of the house and worship and people of God, whom he had left, and to the bosom of whose society he longed again to return. "I now," he says, "found myself as in a new world. I had all my life been accustomed to family prayer, but here we had none. From my childhood I had been taken to a Methodist chapel to worship God, but here was no such chapel. I had been favoured with the communion of saints, but now I had none to commune with. The only places of worship were the parish church, and a small Baptist chapel, which was thinly attended. I went to both; but I soon began to drink into the spirit of the people among whom I lived, and too much of my time on the Lord's day was spent in walking and in vain conversation. Many a Lord's day evening have I taken a solitary walk by the side of a wood,

calling to remembrance the congregations which I had left at Alnwick, the hymns which were sung, the sermons which I had heard, and the many gracious seasons with which the Lord had blessed me. Then the book of Psalms was peculiarly sweet to me, especially those which complain of banishment and distance from the house of the Lord. At these times my heart was often melted down before the Lord. I resided here nearly twelve months, during which period I never saw any one Methodist, nor had a single conversation with any who knew any thing of religion. I have, however, to praise God for keeping me from forming any improper connexions, and from falling into gross sin."

Though but a youth of little more than sixteen when he left home for Bourne, he was a serious and watchful observer of Providence, many of whose acts made a deep impression on his heart. He was then, as ever after, a firm believer in the doctrine of a particular Providence; for he was a disciple of Him who said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Some of God's providential acts he has recorded; among which is the following, which he never remembered but with feelings of adoring and grateful love. The vessel by which he had engaged to go was to sail from SouthShields, to which place he repaired. The following is his own ac

count :

"A very remarkable providence now attended me, which I have often reviewed with much gratitude. When I arrived at South-Shields, my home was at the house of Mr. Thomas Ferguson, an old friend and distant relation of my father, who took care to secure me a passage in the brig Old Active, Captain Sheath, bound for Lynn in Norfolk. The wind was fair, and we were all ready for sea, but were not allowed to move for the following reason. It being peace, and sailors being plentiful, the masters had taken the advantage, and reduced the men's wages lower and lower, until they rose in a body and would not allow any ship to clear out of the harbour, but such as gave the wages they required. Things continued thus till the harbour was much crowded, and the moorings all filled. My custom was, as the tide flowed, to go down and hail the Old Active, to know if she was going to sea that tide; on which occasions Mr. Ferguson usually accompanied me. But one evening I went alone, and when in the act of hailing the ship, standing amongst the moorings, there came a heavy ground sea, which was followed by a most tremendous crash. I immediately looked round, when I perceived that the great post to which the ships were moored had given way. Instantly the ships ran foul of each other. From this imminent danger the Lord mercifully delivered me; for, had I not got from among the ropes in a moment, I should have been forced over the pier into the sea, as both the post and the ropes were.

"Matters were at last accommodated between the masters and the men, and all ships ready for sea prepared to sail the next tide. After