Recollections of the life and times of the late Rev. George Lowe

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE REV. GEORGE LOWE.

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I >

KECOLLECTIONS

OF THE

Hift antr Stmts

OF THE LATE

REV. GEORGE LOWE.

BY

ALEXANDEK STRACHAN.

“ I venerate the man whose heart is warm,

Whose hands are pure, whose doctrine and whose life,

Coincident, exhibit lucid proof

That he is honest in the sacred catMc.” — COWPER.

ai

LONDON:

SOLD BY JOHN MASON, 66, PATERNOSTER-BOW.

TO

THOMAS ALLEN, Esq.,

<Bf pacclcsfieltr ;

AND

THOMAS GARSIDE, Esq.,

QtonsUton;

WHO, BY A LONG CONTINUED and GENEROUS FRIENDSHIP, PLACED THE SUBJECT OF THIS MEMOIR UNDER MANY OBLIGATIONS ;

THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED,

WITH SENTIMENTS OF PERSONAL RESPECT

AND CHRISTIAN AFFECTION, BY

THE AUTHOE,

PREFACE,

In the year 1839, the Wesleyan Ministers of the Macclesfield District, held their Annual Meeting in Congleton. During the intervals of business they had frequent opportunities of visiting the late Rev, George Lowe, who then resided in that town. The sight of his Christian brethren revived the recollection of former times, and led him to review the conflicts which he had sustained in the same honourable warfare, the trophies he himself had won from the ranks of scepticism and licentiousness, and the progress of that revival of primitive Christianity, -which, for more than half a century, he had laboured to promote, and which was rapidly extending itself to every continent of the earth and island of the sea. To several of the Ministers he gave an

Preface

viii

outline of his early life, sketches of the character of some of his coadjutors in the ministry, enumerated many striking incidents that came under his own observation, and compared, as he advanced, Methodism in its infancy with Methodism in its comparative maturity. On these topics he spoke with such feeling and pathos ; with such minuteness of detail, and accuracy as to facts and dates ; as showed that they formed the substance of his private meditations, and that his mind often dwelt upon them with approving satisfaction. He was on the verge of ninety years, yet his faculties were unimpaired, and the venerable man combined the freshness and vivacity of youth, with the simplicity and fervour of perfect love. On inquiry it was ascertained, that although he had passed through one of the most remarkable periods in the civil and religious history of Great Britain, — being bom in the reign of George the Second, and surviving till the second year of her present Majesty, — he had

I PREFACE. IX

not recorded a single event of his own life, and that no argument could remove his repugnance to the task. The senior members of the meeting, judging that some memorial should be preserved of so devoted and useful a minister, requested the writer of these pages to remain a few days longer in Congleton, for the purpose of eliciting from Mr. Lowe, and those who had long known him, an account of the more memorable circumstances of his life and times. This he consented to do ; and the facts embodied in the following narrative, were read over in Mr. Lowe’s hearing, and received his authentication, in the presence of several of his dearest earthly friends. These “Kecollections” are respectfully commended to the candid perusal of the reader. The Title is sufficiently indicative of the miscellaneous nature of the work.

r.i .

i I rt ^ ii «

ALEX. STEACHAN,

Contents

! CHAPTER I.

PAGE.

i;| Introductory remarks — Mr. Lowe’s birth — civil and religious state of || the country — extraordinary agencies necessary to correct this

Chapter II

Inlroduction of M eihodisvi into G, Lou'es native village, hy Nicholas Havghton — His hrother John, the Rev, Charles ->• U esley, and others, tried at the Cork Assizes, jtersons of ill fame' — Lowe impressed hy the min istry of Messrs, Cosierdine, Bardsly, and Grimshaw — Mr, Grinwhaw cited to appear before his bishop— The Bishop and Clergy present moved to tears — The result of the interview — The conversion and labours of Mr, Matthew Mayer of Portwood-Mall — The first establishment of weekly prayer-meetings — Their effect upon the family of James TVood,

* in whose house they were held — The conversion of John Whitehead, a poor weaver, afterwards Dr, John Whitehead, one of the Biographers of Wesley — Conversion of D, B,y Esq,, of Manchester — He persuades Lowe to join the class — Lowe's deep distress — He obtains pardon and is filled with joy — His review of the circumstances — Relates a remarkable incident — Attends a love feast in Manchester, conducted by Mr, Wesley — Mr, Wesley leaves Manchester next day to celebrate the birth-day of the Countess of Huntingdon and the first anniversary of her Schools — Board?nan and Philmor sail for America to establish Methodism on that continent,

of Mr* Lowe, senior, for several years, had of religion, was one of

One of the neighbours Nicholas Haughton, who, been a consistent professor the first pioneers who opened the way for the introduction of Methodism into the villages adjacent to Lievenshulme. His brother John travelled in Ireland with Mr. Charles Wesley ; and endured, with Christian fortitude, all the persecution to which that good man was exposed in that country. He was associated with Mr. Wesley and others, when they were tried at the Cork x\ssizes as persons of ill-fame, vagabonds, and common disturbers of his Majesty’s peace.” The mob in that city was headed by Nicholas Butler, a hallad-singer^ and committed great outrages. They entered the Wesleyan place of worship, pulled down the preachers, tore out the windows, demolished the pulpit, burnt the seats, fell upon men, women, and children, with swords and clubs, and committed other acts of violence too shocking to name. Redress was sought for in vain : several depositions were laid before the grand jury, but they did not find one bill against the rioters ; on the contrary, they made that memorable presentment, which will be preserved in their records as a witness against them, of the force of prejudice united with ignorance y to succeeding generations. ‘‘We find and present Charles Wesley, Thomas Williams, Robert Swindells, Jonathan Reeves, Samuel Larwood, Joseph Cownley, John Haughton, James Wheatley, Charles Skelton, William Tucker, and Daniel Sullivan, as persons of ill-fame, vagabonds, and common disturbers of his Majesty’s peace ; and pray that they may be transported.” These were all preachers except the last, who was a respectable citizen. His crime was, that he received the preachers into his house. This encouraged the mob ; who now scoured the streets day and night, shouting, — ^^Five pounds (or a swadler^s head — the name by which the Methodists were chiefly distinguished in Ireland. At the Lent Assizes, the judge inquired for the persons presented ; and, upon their standing forth, he was visibly agitated ; and, for some time, unable to proceed. He at length called for the evidence : on which the ballad-singer appeared ; and, after being asked his profession, the judge ordered him to withdraw. No other persons appearing, he turned to the ministers and said, Gentlemen, there is no evidence against you; you may retire : I am very sorry you have been treated so very improperly. I hope the police of this city will be better attended to for the time to come.” Mr. Wesley observed ironically, — ‘^This memorable presentment is worthy to be preserved in the annals of Ireland, to all succeeeding generations.”

Young Lowe was a great favourite with his mother ; and, being more religiously disposed than any of the other children, had the privilege of accompanying her, when an opportunity offered, for hearing a sermon on the week night. In the eighth year of his age, she took him to hear Mr. Robert Costerdine, then a local preacher in Manchester, who had been invited to preach at the house of Nicholas Haughton. The preacher selected Isaiah vi, 1. as the subject of his address : ‘*In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” The prophet,” he remarked, ^'here describes the time when he ^ saw the Lord;’ the situation in which he ^saw the Lord,’ — ‘high and lifted up and the place in which he ‘ saw the Lord,’ — ‘ In the temple.’ ” After this formal division of the subject, he exclaimed, — “Friends! I could as soon forget the fact of my own existence as the time when, the manner in which, and the place w’here, I found the Lord.” He then took a final leave of his text, and gave such a detail of the circumstances under which he had been converted, as deeply affected the people and melted George into tears. From this time he became more thoughtful and serious; but still he was dissatisfied with. himself and unhappy. His distress was mitigated, in some degree, by a sermon which he heard soon after, by Mr. Samuel Bardsly, a local preacher, from those animating words, “This man receiveth sinners.” Under this sermon he felt, that, although, in his own judgment, he was “ the chief of sinners,” yet he was not heyond the range of God’s forgiving mercy. He remained in this state of mind, alternating between hope and despair, for upwards of two years. In the tenth year of his age he went to Stockport, to hear the Rev. William Grimshaw, in the expectation of obtaining some spiritual encouragement. As he was going up the street, a woman threw open her window and cried after him, “ thou young snake, art thou leaving the church and going after these Methodists ?” There was, by this time, a small Wesleyan chapel erected in the town, with a gallery ; which, on this occasion, was excessively crowded. The service was interesting and protracted ; but Lowe did not receive the blessing he had anticipated. Mr. Grimshaw had engaged to preach in Manchester in the evening. There was then but one chapel in Manchester, which was situated in High-Street. Before entering the pulpit, the steward, Mr. Richard, usually called Dicky Barlow, called the reverend gentleman aside, and said — “ Sir, we feel exceedingly obliged by your kindness, in coming to preach to us on this occasion, but allow me to observe, that our people here have a great deal of preaching, and a great D

K-

f ■ dislike to long preaching. When our venerable I Father Wesley comes, he generally concludes the

I service within the hour.” Mr. Grimshaw instantly

I replied, “ Mr. Wesley ! God hless him ! He can

do more in one hour, than I can in two and under that impression he preached just two hours.

These irregularities subjected Mr. Grimshaw to great obloquy and persecution. In a letter to Mr. M’^esley he said, “ O dear Sir, I know not what to say ; I know not what to do. Sometimes I have made I more excursions into neighbouring parishes, to ex-

hort, but always with a Nicodemical fear, and to the

great offence of the clergy, which, till lately, almost

I ^

I made me resolve to sally out no more, but content

I myself in my own bounds : till lately I say ; for on

i Wednesday was six^weeks, from about five o’clock in the afternoon, to about twelve at night, and again for some hours together, I may say, the day following, my mind was deeply affected with strong impressions to preach the gospel abroad : the event I left to the Lord, fearing to he disobedient to what, I trust, was the heavenly call. The first thing suggested to me was, to visit William Harney’s societies : I accordingly met one of them about a month ago. Last week I struck out into Lancashire and Cheshire, Mr. Bennett bearing me company. We visited the societies in Rochdale, Manchester, and Holme, in

Lancashire, and Boothbank in Cheshire. O it was a blessed journey to my souL I am determined, therefore, to add, by the divine assistance, to the care of my own parish, that of so frequent a visitation of Mr. Bennett’s, William Barney’s, the Leeds and Birstal societies, as my own convenience will permit, and their circumstances may respectively seem to require ; all along enquiring the Lord’s will and purposes for me.”

Having continued these periodical excursions into distant counties for a series of years, to the great annoyance of the clergy, they at last complained to the Bishop, in such terms as led him to think that it was his duty to lay some restraint upon this rambling and enthusiastic sonvof the church. He, therefore, announced his intention to hold a confirmation service in Mr. Grimshaw’s church ; and expressed a wish to have an interview with him on that occasion. They accordingly met in the vestry of Haworth church, on the day appointed ; and while the clergy and laity were assembling in great numbers to see his lordship and be present at the confirmation, the following conversation took place : "I have heard,” said the Bishop, “many extraordinary reports respecting your conduct, Mr. Grimshaw. It has been stated to me, that you not only preach in private houses in your parish, but also travel up and down and preach where you have a mind, without consulting either your diocesan or the clergy into whose parishes you obtrude your labours : and that your discourses are very loose; that, in fact, you can, and do, preach about anything. That I may he ^ble to judge for myself, of both your doctrine and manner of stating it, I give you notice, that I shall expect you to preach before me | and the clergy present, in two hours hence, and from the text which I am about to name.” After repeating the text, the Bishop added, “ Sir, you may now retire and make what preparation you can, while I confirm the young people.” “ My Lord,” said Mr. Grimshaw, looking out of the vestry door into the church, “ see what multitudes of people are here ! Why should the order of the service be reversed, and the congregation kept out of the sermon for • two hours ? Send a clergyman to read prayers, and I will begin immediately.” After prayers, Mr. Grimshaw ascended the pulpit, and commenced an extempore prayer for the Bishop, the people, and the young persons about to be confirmed ; and wrestled with God for his assistance and blessing, until I the congregation, the clergy, and the Bishop were

I moved to tears. After the service, the clergy

gathered around his lordship eager to ascertain what proceedings he intended to adopt in order to restrain

I

't

THE REV. GEORGE LOWE.

Mr. Grimshaw from such, rash and extemporaneous expositions of God’s holy word. The Bishop looked round upon them with paternal benignity; and, taking Mr. Grimshaw by the band, said in a tremulous voice, and with a faltering tongue ; “ I would to God, that all the clergy in my diocess were like this good man.” Mr. Grimshaw afterwards observed to a party of friends whom he had invited to take tea with his family that evening, I did expect to be turned out of my parish on this occasion ; but if I had, I would have joined my friend Wesley, taken my saddle-bags, and gone to one of his poorest circuits.”

About the same time Mr. Matthew Mayer, of Portwood-Hall, near Stockport, was converted and came into Mr. Lowe’s neighbourhood calling sinners to repentance. His first efibrts were made in conjunction with John Morris, a young man from Manchester, by establishing weekly prayer-meetings at Davy-Hulme, Dukinfield, Ashton, and other places. As numbers of persons attended those meetings who were utterly ignorant of the things of God, these young men exhorted them to flee from the wrath to come.” The effects were surprising ; upwards of sixty persons were awakened and added to the society at Davy-Hulme, in a few weeks after the establishment of these meetings in that village.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OE

This was the commencement of public prayer-meetings, as a social means of grace, amongst the Methodists, in the northern counties of this country. By this experiment, they were found to supply favourable opportunities for exercising the talents of young men in exhortation and prayer ; and of training them for various departments of usefulness in the church. This was so strikingly the case in the present instance, that similar meetings were soon established in different parts of the kingdom. The blessing that came upon Obed-Edom, for receiving the Ark of God, seemed to rest upon those families, who, unmoved by the violence and execrations of the profane, threw open their doors for the instruction and salvation of their neighbours.

At Davy-Hulme, the* meetings were held sometimes at the house of John Haywood, whose brother was one of the first converts, and afterwards became an Itinerant preacher, and sometimes at James Wood’s, at Cross-bank farm. No sooner did James feel the love of God in his own heart, than he began to exercise his gifts as an exhorter and local preacher ; and, after a life of exemplary piety and usefulness, died rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.” He was very fond of his children, and deeply solicitous that they might be brought to God in early life. He seldom opened his lips in public prayer without placing the spiritual interests of his family before God, and pleading that each member might be made a witness of the truth, and be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’^ Heaven responded to these devout and incessant supplications, and sent a baptism of knowledge and grace upon his household. His son Thomas, a promising youth, then in the nineteenth year of his age, became a sincere penitent, and was admitted into society by the Rev. Christopher Hopper. He was subsequently introduced to Mr. Wesley, who, after conversing with him for a short time, sent him at once to call sinners to repentance.”

This young man applied himself diligently and successfully to the cultivation of his mind, and made rapid progress in several branches of useful learning. On the recommendation of Dr. Olinthus Gregory, he obtained the degree of Master of Arts from the university of Aberdeen ; and, after preaching the gospel in the principal circuits in the Wesleyan connexion, with ability and success, died in peace, in the sixty-first year of his age, and the thirty-ninth of his ministry. He left behind him several valuable works on Christian theology.

One Sunday evening, while the prayer-meeting was in progress at James ^Wood’s, the heavens were opened,” and great grace rested upon the people/’ Many were in distress ; and Morris and Mayer, who conducted the meeting, were completely exhausted by their exertions^ Just at this moment, Mr. Robert Costerdine, a local preacher, came into j the room. Robert was a sensible man, but not very friendly to those meetings, which he looked upon as novelties in Methodism, and not much calculated to promote the calm and steady growth of experimental religion. With some reluctance he engaged in prayer ; and began in his usual slow and deliberate manner. This was but ill-suited to the burning zeal and fervent piety of young Morris ; who, kneeling beside him, whispered in his ear, Brother, if you would fill this house with God, you must be more earnest.” Costerdine elevated his voice, and quickened his utterance, and pleaded in prayer until himself and the people were filled with the Holy Ghost. From that day Robert never looked back, but soon after entered the itinerant ministry, in which he continued twenty-nine years, and lived and died a faithful labourer in his Lord’s vineyard.

Mr. Mayer had a brother and sister-in-law, who lived at Dukinfield Hall. Thither he went to point out to them their need of redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of their sins.” There was a small society, not exceeding six or seven members, who met at Higham-fold, a place a little

THE EEV. GEORGE LOWE.

ij.

i beyond Ashton, where the travelling preachers called to preach at noon, once a fortnight, on their way from Manchester to Glossop. Mr. Mayer’s sister-in-law consented to join this little society, on condition that he would come over and meet the class. He went over every Wednesday for eight or ten weeks, and she accompanied him to the meeting. Many of the neighbours came in to hear what the young stranger had to say ; for so soon as he had spoken to the members of the class, he gave an exhortation to the people. The divine blessing attended these humble but well intentioned efforts ; so that, while some were enabled to rejoice in God their Saviour, the little society increased in these few weeks from six or seven to twenty members. AmoiiK the converts was a vouth of the name of Whitehead, a poor weaver lad, afterwards well known in the early annals of Methodism, as Dr. John Whitehead, one of the biographers of the venerable Wesley.

There were few towns, or even villages, in Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, the south of Lancashire, or the West of Yorkshire, where there were not many witnesses of the divine power which attended the preaching of Mr. Mayer. He frequently travelled with Mr. Wesley, was admitted to the annual Conference as a confidential friend, and often f consulted about the temporal and spiritual affairs of the connexion. It was under the preaching of this gifted laymen, that the late D. B., Esq., of Manchester, was awakened to a sense of his guilt and danger as a sinner. Up to that time D. had been a wild youth, remarkably fond of dancing, and likely to be distinguished as the prodigal of his family. After he joined the Methodist society, he became steady and even exemplary : the blessing of God succeeded the work of his hands,” so that he rapidly advanced in respectability and wealth.

^ Meeting with young Lowe one day, who had formerly been his schoolfellow, and finding him concerned about his soul, he invited him to go to the class-meeting. Lowe yielded to the importunity of his friend, and thus commenced a union with God’s people, which was perpetuated, with the exception of a short interval, for more than fourscore years, with honour and advantage to all parties. The class was met by Andrew Chadwick, a weaver ; and the number in society in the whole township of Leivenshulme, did not exceed forty individuals. Young Lowe was admitted on trial by Mr. John Allen, and into society by Mr. John Pawson, in the year 1/67. These ministers were then travelling in the Manchester circuit, which comprehended the whole county of Lancashire.

But although he had been influenced by the fear of God from infancy, and had, for some time, been deeply convinced of the sinfulness of sin, and under that conviction attended all the means of grace, and joined the Methodist society, Lowe had not, as yet, obtained a sense of God’s favour. His own account of the circumstances under which he realized that blessing, is peculiarly interesting. This account w^as given with much solemnity of manner, and deep feeling : his utterance was interrupted and broken, while the big tears traced each other over his pallid but comely countenance.

While at the class-meeting one evening,’’ he observed, the members related in simple, but glowing terms, what the Lord had done for their souls during the week, and seemed to be filled wdth the consolations of God’s Holy Spirit. I occupied the remotest corner of the room, and remained till the close of the service in exquisite distress. On returning home I retired to my bed-room, feeling the wrath of God resting upon me. I threw myself upon my knees in distraction and anguish of spirit, and breathed out the feelings of my heart, in the appropriate language of David : ‘ O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak : O Lord, heal me ; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed : but thou, 0 Lord, how long ? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul :

0 save me for thy mercies* sake. I am weary with my groaning ; all the night make I my bed to swim ;

1 water my couch with my tears. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me : Lord, be thou my helper.* Having obtained a degree of comfort, I retired to rest. I fell asleep while the words of the Apostle shed a tranquillizing influence over all my feelings ; ‘ Now ye are in heaviness through manifold tempta tions : That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love : in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory : receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soul.* I had no sooner fallen asleep, than, like Stephen, I * saw the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.* He seemed wrapt in a mantle of light, and stood forth as a mediator between God and me. ^ Pointing to his side, and lifting his hands. He shewed that I was graven there.* I awoke in an ecstasy of joy, with the lines of Wesley upon my lips -

THE REV. GEORGE LOWE.

‘ Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night, Thine eye diffused a quickening ray ;

I woke : the dungeon flamed with light : My chains fell oflT, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.’

Being now brought into the liberty of God’s people, every thing around me assumed a new aspect.”

He was grieved, however, when he looked back upon the “ unbelief and hardness of his heart,” and could not comprehend by what snare of the devil he had been led to entertain such gloomy and unbelieving views of that God who had so long “ waited to be gracious.”

He had been perplexed, for some time, about the doctrine of justification by faith. He observed that the scriptures every where enjoined faith in the atonement, as the condition of pardon : that the preachers always exhorted penitent sinners to “ believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” in order to the “remission of sins;” and that his class-leader declared again and again, that until he did believe in Christ, he could not be reconciled to God. He complained bitterly, that, while he believed all that God had revealed in his word, and was looking for the forgiveness of his sins and eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ alone, he should, after all, be regarded as an unbeliever. There seemed to be a difficulty and mystery about the believing act which he could neither comprehend nor surmount. Embracing, as he did, the divine authority and inspiration of the holy scriptures, and cordially approving of God’s method of reconciling man to himself, by the. blood of the cross, he felt assured that he possessed all the essential elements of evangelical faith. But his attention being directed one day to Rom. v. 1, “ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” he perceived that “ peace with God,” is there represented as being at once the evidence of pardon and of the genuineness of faith. He was conscious that he had not “peace with God,” and began to suspect that there was something defective in his faith. A little reflection revealed to him the fact, that, instead of employing himself in unprofitable reasonings about justification, he should, as he remarked, have gone “right away to Christ for the blessing.” While, therefore, he reproached himself for having been so “ slow of heart to believe,” he felt thankful to God for that arrangement by which faith is made the simple and appropriate condition of salvation.' Having emerged from gross darkness, “into marvellous light,” from extreme misery into inexpressible joy, he began to contemplate his condition with some