Memorials of the Rev. John Henry Anderson
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MEMORIALS OF THE REV. J. H. ANDERSON, : : MEMORIALS OF THE REV. JOHN HENRY ANDERSON BEING A SELECTION FROM HIS SERMONS, LECTURES, AND SPEECHES; MEMOIRWITH A BRIEF BY HIS BROTHER, THE REV. T, D. ANDERSOK B.A. bonbon PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY T. WOOLMER, 2, CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, AND 66, PATERNOSTER ROW, E>C 1882. POINTED BY JAME3 BENNETT, BLACKBURN. PREFACE. >J«ic A week or two before my brother sailed from this - country, I was one afternoon sitting with him out of doors, conversing about the future, when I observed, " Talking about an event does not of necessity make it occur. I hope, and believe, this voyage will result in the re-estab- lishment of your health, but if it should not, and if you should not return, will you give me leave to look over your sermons and other manuscripts, and publish a selection for the benefit of your friends in the circuits in which you have travelled. It would indeed be a Memorial Volume." He replied, that if any good could thereby be done, he ought not to prevent it, and for that reasoa would consent. '* Only be sure," he added, " and don't say a great deal about me in the way of praise." With this wish of my brother. I have endeavoured to comply, and have presented an outline of his life, which those who knew him must fill up for themselves. But 1 have sought to let him speak for himself by extracts from his journal, so far as space would allow, and have thus given the reader an insight into the workings of his mind, through a medium which, originally, was never intended for the public eye. I have, however, added some extracts from the letters of friends, who were not in any way fettered in the expression of their opinion, and I trust these may tend to relieve the biographical sketch from a onesidedness of which the writer is only too conscious. Through the kindness of the Editor, an abridgment of the Memoir appeared in November, 1881, in the pages of the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. VI PREFACE. The purpose of the book, and the limits of the space at my disposal, have prevented me from enlarging- on my brother's love of nature, his excursions into the English Lake District or Scotland, his love of general literature, and other topics. The sermons here printed will, on some of these matters, give sufficient evidence. My wish has been to show how complete was his devotion to the work to which he consecrated his life, and how, in spite of a very serious and unavoidable hindrance, he, by God's blessing and assistance, achieved no mean measure of success. A few typographical errors have crept into the work, which I refrain from pointing out, in the hope they may not be noticed. My heartfelt thanks are due, and are hereby presented, to the numerous subscribers and friends, who by their generous and timely help, have enabled me to send forth this Memorial Volume without any anxiety as to its financial success. They are entitled to an apology for the delay in issuing it, which has disappointed no one more severely than friyself, and which must have greatly taxed their patience. With one exception, the sermons contained in this book have been chosen from those preached at Brighton during the last year of my brother's ministry. From the unused stores, it would be easy to compile another volume, which would be no unworthy companion to the present, should any general desire be expressed to that effect. J, Church Park, Mumbles, near Swansea, 29th March, 1882. 1 CONTENTS. ^- t MEMOIRS. Chapter. Page. I. Childhood and Youth I II. Probation 7 III. Manchester ... II IV. Rawtenstall and Sunderland 18 V. York ... ... 26 VI. Halifax ... 3-"» VII. Brighton and Conclusion ... 38 SERMONS. I. The Benefits ok Waiting upon the Lord ... 5i II. The Addenda of Faith 61 III. The Death of Moses... 70 IV. A XlGHT ON THE Sea OF (tAI.ILF.E, OR LESSONS for Disciples 80 V. Highway and Hedge Work .. 91 VI. Buying the Truth 102 VII. Keeping the Truth ... 1 1 Vlll Contents. • Chaptee Page. VIII. Lessons from Dothan . 120 IX. The Life and Translation of Enoch .. 130 X. Gehazi ... ... ... •• 139 XI. The Disciples' Watchword... •• 150 XII. Soul Winning . 160 XIII. The Pearl of Great Price ... • 171 XIV. Advice to Racers . 180 XV. Counting the Cost ... 189 XVI. The Horrible Pit and Miry ... Clay . I98 XVII. Death a Gain to the Godly... 207 LECTURE. • * St. Paul . 217 SPEECH. The Tarrying Vision .. 253 1 MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOHN H. ANDERSON. CHAPTER I. CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH. 1 84 1 862. In common with others, our church has often had to mourn the loss in early life of those whose promise of efficient service was great. It is sad to have to say fare- well to those who have laboured through a long- day of arduous toil, but regret is lessened by the feeling- that they have merited their rest, and being- worn out, could be of little further use if they continued with us. There is a propriety that we recognize, in spite of our sorrow, in their being- removed to a higher sphere of existence, where failing- faculties and bodily infirmities are known no more. But when a worker is suddenly arrested in the high noon of his life and efficiency, and compelled to utter the plain- tive lament, " my days are past, my purposes are broken ofT," how much more melancholy the parting-. An all-wise and an all-loving- God does not and cannot make mistakes, but short sighted mortals yearning- for the knowledge that only eternity will give, frequently have to ponder the problem why some of the holiest, most gifted, most devoted of His servants, are, humanly speaking, prematurely taken from the field which needs their labour so much, while others of inferior gifts and graces are left to carry on the work from which they would be so little missed. The subject of this sketch had the advantage of a godly B MEMOIR. ancestry. His grandfather, the Rev Henry Anderson, entered the ministry in the year in which the Rev. John Wesley died, being- sent out by him, and after fifty-two years of faithful service departed this life on January 31st, 1843. His father, the Rev. John Anderson, who com- menced to travel in 1836, is still actively engaged in circuit work. My brother, John Henry Anderson, was born at Oakham, Rutlandshire, on the 4th of July, 1841. His early years were spent under the care of his parents, and unmarked by any very noteworthy incident. He like most ministers' sons used to say he would be a preacher when he grew up, and often in winter evenings exercised his oratorical gifts, to the amusement of his mother, and the admiration of his brother and sisters. Thanks to a mother's patient and wise instruction, he was well informed in scripture history, and the stories of the Old Testament heroes generally formed the themes of his juvenile discourses. At the age of nine years, he was sent to Kingswood School. Here he distinguished himself by attention to his studies, gained several prizes, and when he left after six years' residence, had attained the rank of third boy in the'school. There is no evidence to show that he was the subject of special religious impressions while at school. He manifested a love for adventure which did not always conform to the rigid limits of school discipline, and which was doubtless fed by reading books of fiction, accounts of travels, and poetical works. Indeed, he eagerly perused all books which appealed to his imagination, and sometimes ventured himself on some poetical effusion, the precursor of something superior in a future day. He was offered the Exhibition to Taunton College, but declined it, preferring to enter at once into a business life. He cer- tainly had no desire to spend his teens in literary occupation, and school life at Kingswood had no such charms for him as to make him eager to enter upon a similar experience at Taunton. He knew that at the longest he would only be there a year, and thought the advantage would not be worth the trouble it would give him. This decision will not appear so strange when it is known that his happiness at Kingswood had been sadly marred by an inordinate tendency to bashfulness, a failing which proved more or less the bane of his life. The CHAPTER I. slightest cause would crimson his face with blushes, a circumstance which afforded constant merriment to his heedless schoolfellows, and of which they were not slow to take advantage. No wonder he was loath to undergo the ordeal of facing another set of schoolfellows at Taunton. He left New Kingswood at Midsummer, 1856. In September of the same year, he was apprenticed to Mr. Haines. Chemist and Druggist, Bromsgrove, and forthwith commenced to learn the art and mystery of that honour- able craft. At the Conference of 1857 ms father was appointed to Bromsgrove, and thus a very beneficial home influence was exerted upon him at a most critical period of his life. Fidelity to the truth compels the admission that his heart was not in his work. He conscientiously performed his allotted duties, but took very little interest in them. His shyness seemed to increase, and rendered him very abrupt in his manner to the customers, which some of them set down to surliness of temper.