INCIDENTS OF GOSPEL WORK
or
by
Charles Stanley
Committing children to the Lord in faith.
The Lame Captain.
Sent to Scarborough, when there was no one else to
preach.
The full gospel much needed.
The Lord’s bag.
The work began at York.
Preaching at the funeral of a Roman Catholic.
Lectures on the Signs of the Times.
An after meeting in a cottage.
T.S. sent to York, and then W.T.
Just about this time I well remember an incident that may
encourage many a parent in prayer. More than seventy years before this event, a
godly mother committed her babe to the Lord, in faith that the child would be
converted, and join her above; such was her faith as she departed, to be absent
from the body, present with the Lord. For seventy years there was no sign of
answered prayer. The child grew up a careless, ungodly man, a captain of a
man-of-war. He had both his heals blown off by a splinter of a shell. He was
now an aged and a lame man. He had been brought to hear the word, being carried
into the crowded room. That night the Spirit led me to preach from
“Mephibosheth.” (See the Tract written about that time.) I was describing the
sinner’s utterly lost, lame condition, and the kindness of God shewn in Christ,
not only in giving Christ to die for our sins, but in fetching the poor sinner,
just as he is, to His own presence, as David sent and fetched Mephibosheth,
lame on both his feet. I said, “Now, you poor lame old sinner, you who have
been fetched into the presence of God to-nigh, where are you?” The poor old
captain felt it was God speaking to him, who knew all about him; and trying to
get up, he cried out, “I am here.” God saved his soul that night, and thus
answered a mother’s prayers, but in His own way and time. It was a happy sight to see the dear old captain rejoicing in
Christ Jesus, and sitting at the King’s table as a King’s son, “and he was lame
on both his feet.” Read in connection with this little story of grace, 2 Samuel
ix.
We were having a little prayer-meeting on Saturday evening,
when I had a very distinct call, that I was to go to Scarborough again, to
preach on the following day. I went home the following day. I went home, but my
dear wife on this occasion did not feel it was the Lord’s mind that I should do
so. I asked the Lord that if it were His will, He would give us both the same
judgment about it. After prayer, I went to bed and fell asleep. At two o’clock
I found myself standing on the floor, and the Lord said, “You must go to
Scarborough.” I awoke my wife, and she now was of the same mind. I quietly
prepared a little breakfast, and then walked to the station. There was train to
York, I went by it in faith. After waiting a little at York, I found there was,
at that time, a train to Scarborough on Lord’s day morning. I arrived there
about nine. I thought I would not call on any one until the time that a few
Christians met to break bread, according to scripture, in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
I walked down on the shore, there I saw G.A. walking slowly,
and looking rather down. I walked up behind, and laying my hand on his
shoulder, I said, “How are you?” He turned around and said, “Well, this is a
rebuke: Mr. B. has been suddenly called to a funeral in London, and there will
be a large company at the room to-night: I was feeling down at the thought that
there would be no one to preach, and now the Lord has sent you.” Those who have
never experienced this kind of direct guidance, cannot have any idea, what a
solemnity it gives.
There was another thing that gave great interest in
preaching the gospel in those days. And this caused great delight in breaking
up new ground. You might often go into a town or village and, yes even a city,
and there would scarce be a soul in it, that enjoyed the certainty of eternal
redemption. If you had asked them the meaning of Hebrews x. 2-14 they could not
have told you. And real Christians had only “a good hope that they would be
saved.” Then, in almost every case, you found souls under law, and therefore in
bondage. It was my delight to go throughout all England, telling out the full
gospel of God.
I was by no means rich in this world’s goods, yet I always
had means to go and preach wherever the Lord sent me. Perhaps the reader would
like to know how this was the case. I will tell him. I had a little bag which I
called the Lord’s bag. Whatever was given me by the Lord’s people for traveling
expenses was put into that bag, and for all those years of gospel work, I never
could reach the bottom of it. This continued until the Lord gave me the greater
privilege of Acts xx 35.
I will now relate how the Lord began His work in several
places, these can only be a few samples out of many.
The city of York had been on my mind for some months, and I
had often liked to the Lord in prayer about it. I was returning home one day
from Scarborough, and had about three hours to wait at York. As I walked over a
bridge, I lifted up my heart in prayer, and asked the Lord, if it were His will
that I should preach the word there, to give me a congregation that day. Whilst
I was in prayer, I met a great crowd turning down by the castle. The Lord said,
“Follow this crowd.” I found there was going to be a funeral of some Roman
Catholic dignitary. We walked on until we came to a large shed. The rain fell
at this moment, and the people rushed and filled the shed. I felt it was the
Lord’s will that I should stand in front of the shed. I took out my bible and
read the words, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” A very large
company gathered in front. Some hundreds heard the word with marked attention.
The Roman Catholics seemed to think I was one of themselves, and, crossing
themselves, came very close. I was led to dwell first on the blessedness of
those who fall asleep in Christ. I did not refer to the special time to which
this text applies; but as a general fact, how blessed is the soul that departs
from this scene to be with the Lord. I then shewed that the word did not say,
“Blessed are they that die in the Roman Catholic church, or in the Protestant
churches, but IN THE LORD. This caused rather a flutter, and then even greater
attention, whilst I endeavored to shew forth from Scripture, what it was to be
“in the Lord.”
As I closed, a man asked me, in a distinct, clear voice,
that was heard by all, “Do I understand you to say, that a man may know in this
world that he is saved, and that he has eternal life?” This question, and the
answer, appeared to have great effect on many, as I shewed from Scripture that
it was the privilege of all believers, to know that they were “justified from
all things,” and had peace with God. For the word says, “Be it known unto you,
therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins; and by him, all that believe are justified from all
things.” If we believe God, how can we doubt what He says: “Be it known unto
you”? Other scriptures were quoted and, and just as I finished my answer, the
head of the funeral approached us, being about two hours behind time. Let us
not say this was very strange, it would not be so at all if we walked more in
faith.
Some little time after, I felt led to go and give a lecture
in York, on the large market space, called the Pavement. I put out a little
notice, “Lecture on the Signs of the Times.” This was at the time of the
Chartist agitation, just at the crisis. Somehow report got abroad that I was a
Chartist, come to revolutionise the city. The Mayor sent for me, and as I was
only a Christian that belonged to no denomination, he could not understand it,
and therefore thought it must be wrong. He thought it best to order out a large
force of police, to keep the peace. There was an immense concourse of people,
which filled the market place. I was very weak, and had almost to be lifted
into a chair to speak. It is a solemn thing to address so many thousands of
souls, all of whom will be so soon in eternity. I dwelt much on the approaching
judgment of the living nations, at the glorious appearing of Christ. Then I
shewed Christians how the Lord would come first and take them to Himself. (John
xiv. 1-3; 1Thess. Iv. 13-18.) All this was quite new then in the city of York.
And as the preaching went on until it grew dark, the thunder rolled and
lightning flashed. Altogether, it was a night never to be forgotten by many.
I should have said I had heard of a Christian of the name of
S., and though unknown to him, I went to his house before the lecture, and
asked him if he would allow me to preach Christ in his hour at ten o’clock that
night. He looked somewhat astonished, but consented. A little before ten the
lecture closed. I then invited all those who were anxious, or desired to know
more of these things, to go with me to his house. The largest chapel would have
been filled had it been opened. The little house was crowded, and we had the
after meeting until near twelve o’clock.
That night the Lord sent His servant, the late T. S., form Leeds, to labour awhile in York. He arrived late, went to his lodgings, and heard nothing of our meetings. Early next morning, the Lord directed him to that very house; and there the work began, and there the table of the Lord was spread in the city of York. Soon the work spread, and the Lord sent His dear servant, the late beloved W. T.