"jo urn e 
 
 3SE Ash WORTH. 
 
FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 Pfekka 
 Section 
 
 ) </m 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 VENERABLE HUGH BOURNE. 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 VENERABLE 
 
 HUGH BOURNE, 
 
 By Rev. JESSE ASHWORTH. 
 
 " And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the 
 firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars 
 for ever and ever." — Daniel, xii, 3. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 Published by JOSEPH TOULSON, Sutton Street, 
 Commercial Road, E. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 WHEN the writer of this biographical sketch was first 
 asked by the Book Committee to undertake the task, 
 he very respectfully declined, fearing lest he should 
 not be able to perform it in a manner worthy of this 
 most wonderful man and the great Connexion in which 
 he took so prominent a part ; but being asked again, 
 after others had refused, he finally consented. He is 
 fully aware that the work will not be deemed free from 
 imperfections, especially in this, the first edition, but 
 he humbly hopes that it may have the honour of 
 passing rapidly through several succeeding editions. 
 He has aimed to place as many facts in the life of this 
 great man in as brief a space as it was possible to do, 
 and allow those facts to speak for themselves. He 
 trusts the work will lead to the study of first principles, 
 and the elements which contributed mainly to the 
 Connexion's prosperity in the early period of its 
 history. The writer was conscious of one advantage 
 which he possessed, that is, he was w r ell acquainted 
 with Hugh Bourne himself, having frequently taken 
 part with him in Camp-meetings, Anniversaries, and 
 other services. The writer hopes and prays that this 
 work may prove a blessing to tens of thousands of our 
 young people especially, and he humbly trusts that it 
 may be useful to numerous Christians beyond the pale 
 of our own denomination. 
 
 Ealing, March 16th, 1888. 
 

CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introductory remarks — Hugh Bourne's birth, training, parentage. 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 His early experience — Long continued conflicts — Conversion to 
 God. 10 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 His desire to join a Church — How he became a Methodist — His 
 first attempt to pray in public. 18 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 He commences business in the neighbourhood of Mow— Becomes 
 concerned for the state of the people — Shubotham is converted— 
 A great revival follows. 22 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A day's prayer on Mow promised — How he becomes class leader, 
 open air preacher, chapel builder, school master, Sunday school 
 teacher — Studies Greek— Continues his spiritual labours. 33 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Hears thrilling accounts of American Camp-meetings — His brother 
 William's conversion — Meets the Stockport revivalists at Congle- 
 ton love-feast — The Harriseahead class meeting the following 
 ni^ht, and the Christmas love-feast— The great revival which 
 followed, in which Clowes and others were converted. 41 
 
t»AGE. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Hears Lorenzo Dow preach and reads his pamphlets— The time 
 for the first English Camp-meeting fixed, account of its pro- 
 ceedings—Prepares for a second Camp- meeting on Mow, and 
 one at Norton— His expulsion from the Wesley an Society- 
 Devotion to evangelistic work. 47 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Continues manual labour partially, is assisted by Clowes, Alcock, 
 Crawfoot, Dunnel — An important letter — Clowes is expelled 
 from the Wesleyan Society — Mission to London. 62 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Nixon and Steele expelled — First Tunstall Chapel erected — First 
 Society tickets printed — First printed preachers' plan- -Name of 
 Connexion settled— Salary of unmarried preachers fixed— Society 
 rules agreed upon— Becomes general superintendent — Great 
 changes in conducting Camp-meetings — A second circuit made 
 with Derby at its head. 73 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 His great attention to children — Publishes a Revival Hymn Book 
 — Loughborough Circuit formed— Circuit Committees instituted 
 — Connexional Magazine begun — Writes letter to Thomas 
 Jackson — Great increase in Tunstall Circuit — Preparatory 
 Meeting at Nottingham — Description of a good Camp-meeting 
 preacher. 83 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Several Conferences — Large Hymn-book prepared— Sunday-school 
 Hymn-book issued— Penny Children's Magazine commenced — 
 Publishes a Preachers Magazine — Begins his Ecclesiastical 
 History — Prepares Consolidated Minutes and Deed Poll. 95 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Visits the North— Hjw he preaches to Children— Attends Leicester 
 and Hull Conferences— Visits Stockport— His superannuation — 
 Continues his labours for ten years afterwards. 107 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 His last illnesss— Death and funeral. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 His personal appearance, peculiarities, and general characteristics* 117 
 
THE LIFE OF THE 
 
 VENERABLE HUGH BOURNE 
 
 OIK- 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introductory remarks — Hugh Bourne's birth — Training — Character 
 of his Father — Devoted life and triumphant death of his Mother. 
 
 When the present position and statistics of the 
 Primitive Methodist Connexion are carefully 
 considered, it must strike us with no small degree of 
 amazement, to think of what has been accomplished 
 under the divine blessing during the past seventy-seven 
 years. The statistics reported to the last Conference 
 are as follows : — Members in Church fellowship, 
 191,662 ; Itinerant Ministers, 1,038 ; Local Preachers,. 
 16,138 ; Class Leaders, 10,681 ; Sabbath Schools, 4,065 ;. 
 Teachers, 60,671 ; Scholars, 410,950 ; Connexional 
 Chapels, 4,357 ; other Chapels and Houses, 1,498 ; 
 value of Church Property, £2,999,762 17s. 3d. 3,049 
 
h THE LIFE OF 
 
 members have during the past year gone to the 
 better world. How many thousand of our Church 
 members have entered there during the past three- 
 quarters of a century we cannot tell. When to these 
 statistics is added the consideration of our Educational 
 Colleges and the arge circulation of religious literature 
 from our Book Establishment, it may well be asked, 
 " What hath God wrought ? " 
 
 It cannot be deemed of small importance to furnish 
 :a biographical sketch of the distinguished man, who 
 was evidently raised up by Divine Providence, to take 
 a leading, if not even the most leading part in the 
 origin and formation of this great Connexion. 
 
 Beside a number of brief biographical sketches, there 
 lias been published a very respectable and handsome 
 volume entitled " The life of the venerable Hugh 
 Bourne," by William Antliff, D.D., containing 446 
 pages. While this volume has been appreciated very 
 liighly and is still held in great esteem, it is feared 
 that the size and price may have placed it beyond the 
 Teach of many, especially the rising youth of the 
 denomination. It has been therefore wisely determined 
 "by the Book Committee to issue a life of this 
 remarkable man, which will in size and price be within 
 the reach of the masses, and will also form a suitable 
 addition to our valuable list of Sabbath school rewards, 
 which will we trust be read with deep interest by the 
 tens of thousands of our young people throughout the 
 Connexion. The limitation of our space prevents us 
 from enlarging on the advantages and claims of 
 Ibiography ; we take these for granted ; for the same 
 reason also we shall be compelled to omit many 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 7 
 
 references to contemporaneous persons which are given 
 in the larger volume. 
 
 Having made these preliminary observations, we 
 proceed to our very agreeable task, to give an account 
 of the subject of our sketch. 
 
 Hugh Bourne was born April 3rd, 1772, at Ford 
 Hays Farm in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, in the 
 county of Stafford, a very solitary obscure place, 
 difficult of approach by roads, and a considerable 
 distance from either school or place of worship. In 
 after years he was accustomed to attribute the timidity 
 and bashfulness of his nature to the loneliness of his 
 /birth-place, where he resided until in his teens. 
 
 The paternal ancestors of Hugh Bourne are said to 
 be of Norman descent, and came to England either 
 with William the Conqueror or during his reign. The 
 grandfather of Hugh was a respectable farmer, wheel- 
 wright, and timber dealer, at the Abbey Farm near 
 Milton, who accumulated a considerable fortune, and 
 consequently was;able to give his children an honourable 
 start in life. The father of Hugh was trained in the 
 same trades that his father had followed, and it seems that 
 he intended his son Hugh to walk in the same steps. 
 Ellen Bourne, the mother of Hugh, was the daughter 
 of a respectable farmer — Mr. Steale of Hatchley, near 
 Cheadle. Hugh was the third son and fifth child of 
 his parents, and when very young, learned by memory 
 the Te Deum, the Litany, and a good portion of the 
 morning and evening prayers of the Church of 
 England. 
 
 Mrs. Bourne, like the mother of the Wesleys, taught 
 her own children to read, and exerted a very salutary 
 
8 THE LIFE OF 
 
 religious influence over her family. Her son Hugh 
 says, that she often taught her children to read whila 
 spinning at the wheel. Of her it might truly be said,. 
 " She openeth her mouth in wisdom ; and in her 
 tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to 
 the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of 
 idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed ; 
 her husband also, and he praiseth her." (Proverbs 
 xxxi, 26-29. 
 
 On the seventh of August, 1817, this eminent mother 
 in Israel, sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, in the 81st year 
 of her age. Her last words to her sons, and especially 
 to Hugh, were of a very impressive character ; and her 
 great joy was a fitting close to so long and devoted a 
 life — truly a glorious sunset after a lengthy and very 
 eventful day. She said to her sons — " Stand firm and 
 unshaken in the cause of God ; follow the openings of 
 Providence, and when I am gone the God of Abraham 
 will be with you. And thou my beloved Hugh — son 
 of my right hand, let not my affliction and death 
 prevent thee from fulfilling thy appointments ; go on, 
 my son, preaching the Gospel, and if I never meet thee 
 on earth again, I hope to greet thee in heaven, where 
 we shall realise an eternity of happiness." The last 
 words of this sainted mother were — " Come, Lord Jesus, 
 and come quickly." Her son Hugh records the 
 following testimony concerning the life and death of 
 his beloved mother : " My mother has been pious a 
 long time ; she was quite worn down by old age ; she- 
 has had a very rough road through life — a very rough 
 road indeed, but she has weathered the storm. On 
 Friday, the first of August, she praised God the whole- 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 9 
 
 day; she continued in the same way until the following 
 Thursday, when, about six o'clock, she fell asleep in 
 Jesus. From her I received, under the Lord, my first 
 religious impressions, and to ,her care I owe a great 
 deal. We were a large family, and my father a 
 drinking, violent, passionate man ; but my mother's 
 industry and great labours kept the family from want. 
 Her road was rough through the world, indeed, but 
 now she rests from her labours, and her works do 
 follow her." What a sublime close to a noble life ! 
 What a noble testimony to a pious mother from a 
 worthy son ! What a rich encouragement to Christian 
 mothers, who have a difficult task to perform, a rough 
 road to travel, a hard battle to fight, that the same 
 sympathising Heavenly Father, who counselled and 
 aided Mrs. Bourne, for more than four score years, 
 will also be near to them in answer to believing prayer. 
 The father of Hugh survived his mother many years, 
 and died at Bemersley, within a few months of a 
 hundred years old ; but some time before his death, 
 he gave some evidences that prayer was answered in 
 lis behalf, and that " he also had obtained mercy." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 His early experiences — Long continued conflicts — The lessons he- 
 learned— His study of the Scriptures — And pursuit of general 
 knowledge — His Conversion to God. 
 
 Hugh Bourne, as we have already noticed, commenced 
 his life in an obscure locality, at a dark period of our 
 country's history, under many social and relative 
 disadvantages. In very early life he was the subject 
 of deep religious convictions ; he narrates in childlike 
 simplicity what were his thoughts of God, heaven,, 
 hell, the last judgement, and other solemn subjects,, 
 when only about four or five years old. These 
 thoughts led him to delight in God's name, to be 
 very anxious, so far as he knew, to keep His command- 
 ments, and to do that which he thought would please 
 Him. It was a great grief to him to hear any one 
 swear, or see any wicked act performed. When nearly 
 completing his seventh year he commenced a course- 
 of regularly reading the Holy Scriptures, in order 
 that he might more fully understand the command- 
 ments and the right way to keep them. This state of 
 mind he very properly ascribes to a divine work of 
 grace, and he believes that if anyone had then taken 
 him by the hand, and taught him the way of faith and 
 salvation, he would at that time have found the Lord 
 fully. But he informs us that he soon found he was 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 11 
 
 not able to keep the whole law, consequently he felt 
 himself to fall under its curse and to be in danger 
 of hell. 
 
 During the next twenty years, his experience was 
 one of hopes and fears, doubts and faith, conflicts and 
 partial victories : now dreading the condemnation: 
 which be felt he so richly deserved, and now hoping- 
 for the salvation which he so earnestly desired. It 
 may seem strange that through this long and gloomy 
 period no one was found to give him the much needed 
 counsel and encouragement ; but as such men as 
 Luther, Baxter, Bunyan, Wesley, Whitfield, Nelson,, 
 and many others, were no doubt greatly fitted for their 
 eminent and successful careers by previous conflicts, so- 
 the subject of our sketch learned many important 
 lessons in this school of painful experience, which, 
 were of the greatest service to him during the whole 
 of his Christian ministry. One of these lessons was 
 the importance of clearly illustrating and earnestly 
 enforcing the great truth of a present salvation. He 
 so long and deeply felt the necessity of such teaching- 
 for himself, that he used every means in his power to 
 prevent others from sinking so low in the slough of 
 despondency as he had done. Has not the glorious 
 doctrine of a present salvation considerably disappeared 
 from our modern pulpits ? May not this be on& 
 reason among others why we do not witness so many 
 instantaneous conversions as did our fathers ?• Should 
 we not prayerfully expect, and believingly look for 
 immediate conversions under every sermon ? W^ould 
 not a return of this great doctrine to the pulpits of our' 
 land most likely be crowned with equal, if not even. 
 
12 THE LIFE OF 
 
 greater success than its clear enunciation and earnest 
 enforcement have been in the past ? When the Christian 
 Minister deeply reflects upon the importance of the 
 soul's salvation, the shortness of human life, and the 
 numerous attractions to sin, should he not be intensely 
 •earnest in his appeals to his hearers for an immediate 
 surrender to Christ ? 
 
 Another great lesson which Hugh Bourne learned 
 in the furnace of his protracted sorrow, was the 
 importance of conversion to God in early childhood. 
 He felt the work of grace very early in his own heart, 
 -which may in some measure account for the great 
 interest he took during the whole of his ministerial 
 course in the early conversion of children to God. 
 Some persons may be sceptical on this subject, but 
 who is there who cannot remember the early strivings of 
 the Holy Spirit with himself ? Is not regeneration 
 the work of the Holy Spirit, and is not the Spirit 
 able to perform that work in early as well as in after 
 life ? Then why should anyone doubt the possibility 
 of conversion to God in early childhood ? We are 
 fully persuaded that if the unremitting and prayerful 
 efforts of ministers, parents, and Sunday-school teachers 
 were more fully devoted to the accomplishment of 
 this object, very happy and successful would be the 
 results. 
 
 Of his own early experience Hugh Bourne afterwards 
 -writes : " that I had had some one to take me by the 
 hand, to instruct me in the way of faith and the 
 nature of a full, free, and present salvation — happy 
 would it have been for me. But I looked, and there 
 was no eye to pity ; I mourned, but there was no hand 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 13 
 
 to help ; I waited for light, but behold obscurity ; for 
 brightness, but I walked in darkness." Such cases 
 might be possible a century ago, but they ought to be 
 very rare in our own day. 
 
 Although Hugh Bourne was for so long a time a 
 traveller amid such sorrow and gloom, like the pilgrim 
 with a heavy burden upon his back, yet during the 
 whole of that period he attended the public worship 
 of the Established Church, he diligently read the Holy 
 Scriptures and other books which came in his way, 
 and spent much time in private J3rayer. He was also 
 very diligent in business, both for his father and an 
 uncle who was a millwright. During this period he 
 also gave great attention to the study of Hydrostatics, 
 Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Natural Philosophy, various 
 branches of science, and the learned languages, namely, 
 Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It may seem somewhat 
 surprising that a young farmer's son, in so obscure a 
 locality, should have such ardent aspirations after 
 knowledge, but Divine Providence was evidently 
 preparing him for the great work which lay before 
 him ; and, considering his opportunities, his lingual 
 and literary attainments may be regarded as very 
 respectable. 
 
 Another remarkable feature of Hugh Bourne's early 
 -career was his devotion to total abstinence from 
 intoxicating drinks. He was twice caught, as he calls 
 it, by intoxication, and this, he adds, prejudiced him 
 against the thing during the whole of his after life. 
 He very wisely cherished a wholesome dread of 
 intoxicating liquors ; but as this was long before total 
 abstinence reached its present popularity he was 
 
14 THE LIFE OF 
 
 frequently subjected to many petty annoyances from 
 his fellow workmen ; but he continued firm to his 
 well-formed resolution to the last. 
 
 At length the hour of his spiritual deliverance arrived. 
 The forebodings of a future punishment which had 
 haunted him for twenty doleful years, now gave place 
 to a blessed hope of a glorious immortality. He was 
 translated from the kingdom of darkness into marvellous 
 light. He became the happy subject of a peace that 
 passeth all understanding, a joy that is unspeakable, 
 a hope that is full of glory, and a love that passeth 
 knowledge. How was this glorious change brought 
 about ? By a very simple incident, humanly speaking, 
 but 
 
 " God moves in a mysterious way, 
 
 His wonders to perform ; 
 He plants His footsteps in the sea, 
 
 And rides upon the storm." 
 
 Mrs. Bourne, Hugh's mother, being on family business 
 at Burslem, she asked a Mr. Mayer, a Methodist, ta 
 oblige her with the loan of a suitable book for her own 
 reading. He lent her a book as thick as a Bible, in 
 which a number of tracts, biographies, and sermons- 
 were bound up together. Among other things the book 
 contained Baxter's Call to the Unconverted, Alleine's 
 Alarm, Fletcher's Letters, the biographies of two early 
 Methodist Preachers — the Revs. T. Taylor and J. Haime 
 — also Mr. Wesley's sermon on the Trinity. Hugh 
 Bourne read these various publications, and the sermon 
 on the Trinity was made a great blessing to him. It 
 gave him clearly to discover that mere opinion is not 
 religion, no, not even right opinion ; not mere assent 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 1 ; "> 
 
 to one or even ten thousand truths ; that a person may 
 entertain right opinions and yet be as distant from 
 religion as the east is from the west. Of this sermon 
 Hugh Bourne writes : " It opened my mind and cleared 
 my way for reading the other treatises ; it gave me 
 more light than I had ever before received — it was to 
 me a light indeed : the whole, indeed, to me was 
 entirely new, not one of its publications had I ever 
 seen before." How beautifully Christ leads the sincere 
 seeker of salvation step by step, from strength to 
 strength. Greatly encouraged by the information 
 which he had gathered from Mr. Wesley's sermon on 
 the Trinity, Hugh Bourne for a little time longer 
 proceeded on his way. One Sunday morning as the 
 sun was shining and the birds were pouring their sweet 
 music on the balmy air, he was seated in his room 
 reading Mr. Fletcher's letters on the spiritual manifes- 
 tation of the Son of God, he was led to " believe with 
 his heart unto righteousness, and with his mouth to 
 make confession unto salvation." This delightful change 
 was realised by him in the twenty-seventh year of his 
 age, in the year 1779. Let us hear his own account of 
 it : " The reading of Mr. Fletcher's letters on the 
 spiritual manifestation of the Son of God, was the 
 means of leading me into faith ; I believed in my heart, 
 grace descended, and Jesus Christ manifested himself 
 to me. My sins were taken away in an instant, and I 
 was filled with all joy and peace in believing. I never 
 knew or thought anyone could in this world have such 
 a foretaste of heaven. In an instant I felt I loved God 
 with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I fell a 
 love to all mankind, and a desire that all, whether 
 
16 THE LIFE OF 
 
 friends or enemies, might be saved. I heard an inward 
 voice saying, ' Thy iniquity is forgiven, and thy sin 
 •covered.' Light, life, and liberty flowed in upon my 
 soul, and I could scarcely tell whether I was in the 
 body or not. When I could articulate anything, it was : 
 ■' My Father ! My loving Father ! My God ! My 
 merciful God ! ' The burden and guilt of my sin were 
 gone, and I felt I could call Jesus Lord, by the Holy 
 Ghost. I now received the spirit of adoption, and the 
 .Spirit of God bearing witness with my spirit that I 
 -was a child of God. I loved Him because He first loved 
 me. And when the rapturous joy had a little subsided, 
 I felt a calm, settled peace upon my mind. I felt that 
 ,sin had no power over me ; but all my desires were 
 after God and holiness. I Avas as if brought into a new 
 world ; creation wore a fresh aspect ; the Bible was 
 opened unto me, I read it with new eyes, and every 
 line was full of rich treasure. I now began to live a 
 new life, and everything seemed to rejoice with me ; 
 I delighted in the ordinances and eagerly longed for 
 .another Sabbath. 0, with what joy did I anticipate 
 the period when I should put off the body and be 
 numbered with the saints in glory." 
 
 After this rapturous joy had continued for some time, 
 Hugh Bourne was brought again into temporary 
 darkness. This was not through any wrong outward act, 
 but through an inward temptation of the enemy ; but 
 on attending a quarterly meeting of the Society of 
 Friends, while one of their members was speaking on 
 some points touching such experiences, he was led 
 :again into faith, and says : " From this time I learned 
 to hold fast the beginning of my confidence to the 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 
 
 IT 
 
 end." What a striking testimony is this to the clearness 
 of the light upon faith and experience possessed by the 
 Society of Friends even a century ago, that one of its 
 members should be made such a blessing to the great 
 founder of Primitive Methodism. Should any of our 
 young people be drawn into a similar experience of 
 temporary darkness after the joys of conversion, let 
 them learn not to parley with Satan, not to live by 
 frames or feelings, not to trust to mere rapture — but let 
 them learn to "watch and pray, that they enter not 
 into temptation." Let them learn that " the just shall 
 live by faith." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 His desire to join a Church— The manner in which he became 
 a Methodist — His attending the Rurslem Love-feast — His 
 discouragement at first attempting to pray in public. 
 
 After his conversion Mr. Bourne felt it his duty to 
 belong visibly and nominally to the Church, as well as 
 spiritually and really. He wished therefore to join 
 ;Some religious commuuity, but was in a great dilemma 
 as to which it should be. He attended various meetings 
 of the Society of Friends, read a number of their books, 
 had many conversations with some of their members, 
 and it is evident that he learned much from this source 
 respecting the working of the Holy Spirit. At this 
 time he attended the Church of England services on 
 Sabbath mornings, and Methodist services in the after- 
 noon, but which to join was a subject of great perplexity 
 to him. Having no human adviser on whose counsel 
 he could satisfactorily depend, he says : " I sought 
 counsel of Almighty God in prayer ; I made supplication 
 to Him, to manifest His will, and lead me right in this 
 important matter. I waited some weeks for an answer, 
 until the Lord manifested His will that I should be a 
 Methodist." This was brought about in the following 
 manner : The Methodist services were held at a Mr. 
 J. Birchenough's, a farmer near Bemersley. One day 
 In June of this year, 1779, Mr. Birchenough told him 
 
HUCxH BOURNE. 19 
 
 that there was to be a love-feast at Burslem on the 
 Wake Monday ; he invited him to go, and said he 
 would accompany him thither. Having read a good 
 deal in the Arminian, or Methodist Magazine, about 
 this kind of service, he was pleased with the invitation 
 to attend. Birchenough also said that the service at 
 his house on the ensuing Sabbath was to be held at 
 night instead of in the afternoon, because the appointed 
 preacher and himself were going during the day 
 to have a religious excursion, and on this excursion 
 lie invited Mr. Bourne to accompany them. Mr. Bourne 
 says : " I agreed, and it happened to be the time of 
 renewing tickets. On the preacher asking my name, I 
 said ' I am not one of you ; ' but Mr. Birchenough said 
 *You must take the ticket in order to go with us to 
 Burslem love-feast.' So I took it, little thinking that 
 receiving the ticket constituted me a member ; so that 
 my aged friend and his helper made me a member 
 without my knowing it." 
 
 " On the Wake Monday I was accompanied by my 
 aged friend to Burslem, to the lively and powerful 
 love-feast led by Mr. Brettell, and this love-feast I shall 
 •ever remember. In it the Lord manifested to me that 
 it was His will that I should be a Methodist. Notwith- 
 standing my timidity, I was near rising to speak ; and 
 at its close I was heart and hand a Methodist." 
 
 " Next Sunday morning," he continues, " both my 
 mother and myself joined the class, and my brother 
 James very shortly afterwards became a member of the 
 same class. Our leaders were four Burslem Methodists 
 who were planned to come in turns. Their labour was 
 considerable and their kind attention to us was great." 
 
20 THE LIFE OF 
 
 After his conversion, Mr. Bourne evinced great 
 diligence in his attendance at the means of grace, often 
 going to preaching services and prayer meetings at 
 both Burslem and Tunstall. He gave up very much 
 studying the arts and sciences, and devoted unremitting* 
 attention to the study of the Scriptures. In addition 
 to the Bible, the Methodist Magazines, Fletcher's 
 Checks, and Wesley's Notes and Sermons, were the chief 
 books that he read. Of this period he writes : " I had 
 to work hard, still, by redeeming the time and applying 
 my spare hours to earnest prayer, to exercises of faith 
 and diligent study, I, by the good hand of God upon 
 me, got a clearer view of the Holy Scriptures, the 1 
 doctrines of Christ, and of Christian experience. My 
 daily trials and temptations were great, still by the 
 blessing of God, I experienced a growth in grace and 
 an enlargement of heart." 
 
 While Mr. Bourne was devotedly attached to- 
 Methodism he did not under-value other religious- 
 communities. One night, on returning home through 
 Hanley, he turned into a dissenting chapel. The- 
 minister preached from Num. xxi. 4, "And the soul of 
 the people was much discouraged because of the way." 
 He was blest under the preaching, and on his way 
 home it was as if a voice said to him — " I will never 
 leave thee nor forsake thee." He turned his head to> 
 see who spoke to him, but there was nobody near ; and 
 " the words went again," he says, " with a flow of 
 heavenly power." He greatly reverenced both travelling 
 and local preachers ; and all who exercised in prayer 
 meetings he respected as greatly superior to himself. 
 He willingly, gladly, and thankfully, he says, took the- 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 21 
 
 lowest seat. What a glorious conversion ! What a rich 
 experience of joy and peace ! What striking answers 
 to prayer ! What wondrous leadings of Divine 
 Providence ! What diligence in the study of the 
 Scriptures, and attendance on the means of grace ! 
 And yet all this under the greatest discouragement. 
 The first attempt he made to exercise in a prayer- 
 meeting, he was checked for want of utterance, and 
 feared he should never be able to try again. Even of the 
 sermons to which he listened with great delight, during 
 the first two years of his Christian experience, he could 
 scarcely remember a single sentence at the close. And 
 yet after all this he became so distinguished and 
 remarkable a man. Let no one despair — let no one 
 despise the day of small things — let all take encourage- 
 ment, and do their best to fill the place which 
 Providence has assigned them — that in some humble 
 degree at least, they may say with the Great Master — 
 " I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to 
 do,"' John xvii, 4. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 He commences business in the neighbourhood of Mow — Enters into 
 conversation with Maxfield — Leads Shubotham to Christ — How 
 he is led to take part in prayer meetings — The great revival 
 that followed — Conversion of a Lunatic. 
 
 In the year 1800 a new era in the history of Mr. 
 Bourne opens upon us. He was now 28 years of age, 
 and commenced business on his own account, in pursuit 
 of which he purchased a quantity of oak timber 
 growing on a farm at Dales Green, a place between 
 Harriseahead and Mow Cop. These places figuring so 
 prominently in his life and in the history of Primitive 
 Methodism, some brief notice of them may prove 
 interesting to the reader. 
 
 Mow Cop was originally called Mole Cop, and is a 
 rugged mountain running nearly north and south, and 
 forms to some extent a boundary line between the 
 counties of Cheshire and Staffordshire. The southern 
 end is about two miles from the Kidsgrove Colliery, and 
 the northern about three miles from Congleton. The 
 summit of the mountain is the highest point in that 
 part of the country, being 1,000 feet above the level of 
 the sea, and may be seen at a considerable distance 
 from either railway or road. It is about three miles 
 north-west of Bemersley, the home of the Bourne 
 family. Harriseahead is half a mile east of the Cop, 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 23 
 
 and runs parallel with it at a lower elevation to a 
 considerable extent. The land on Mow and in the 
 neighbourhood was then generally unproductive, and 
 like most of the Moorlands of North Staffordshire, 
 strongly resembles the mountain region of North Wales. 
 While the mountains of Scotland and Wales, of Italy 
 and Switzerland, of India and America, may always 
 have their attractions for tourists, for Primitive 
 Methodists Mow Cop will ever have an abiding 
 interest. 
 
 The inhabitants around Mow Cop at that time are 
 said to have been extremely ignorant, indolent, and 
 dissipated. Cock - fighting, bull - baiting, pugilism, 
 drunkenness, blasphemy, all kinds of uncleanness, 
 ferocity, and crime, characterised the locality. 
 
 Notwithstanding that Mr. Bourne was now very 
 fully employed — what with felling timber, the carpentry 
 of a neighbouring farm, and the wood work of Stone- 
 trough Colliery, it was impossible for him to look upon 
 this people so deeply sunk in ignorance, vice, and 
 crime, without " his soul being stirred within him." 
 It seems that there was only one person at Harriseahead 
 who made a profession of religion ; she was an elderly 
 woman, commonly called " old Jane Hall," who was 
 much persecuted by her household and others on 
 account of her religion. 
 
 In the midst of this scene of sin and misery, Mr. 
 Bourne found himself located, and soon commenced 
 operations for the moral elevation of the people. One 
 of his first steps was to get into religious conversation 
 with a Mr. Maxfield — a farmer and blacksmith to 
 whose shop his business would often take him. After 
 
24 THE LIFE OF 
 
 introducing various religious topics into their- 
 conversation, he handed him a written account of his 
 own experience. This paper and these conversations 
 appear to have made a very favourable impression upon 
 Maxfield's mind in regard to Mr. Bourne's character ; 
 hence, on one occasion, when Daniel Shubotham — a 
 relation of the Bourne family — was vituperating against 
 his relative to Maxfield, Maxfield promptly replied, 
 " Aye, lad, but Hugh Bourne's a safe man," meaning 
 that he was a saved man. This proved to be a word in 
 season, for Daniel at once resolved, that if Hugh 
 Bourne was a safe man, he would seek his company, for 
 he wanted to be safe too. Daniel was a pugilist, a 
 drunkard, a poacher ; by dissipated habits he had run- 
 through a considerable amount of property left to him 
 by his father, and had reduced himself and his family 
 to comparative poverty. One of his boon companions 1 
 told him on one occasion, that he w T as the worst swearer 
 he ever heard. His wicked course had made him very 
 miserable, but Maxfield's words went to his heart ; 
 he started from the blacksmith's shop in a great hurry,, 
 saying, "Then I will be a safe man for I will join 
 him." 
 
 On Christmas eve in this year 1800, Daniel met Mi\ 
 Bourne, probably according to previous arrangement, 
 but the hour being late they agreed to meet the 
 following morning at Daniel's house. Mr. Bourne says, 
 " I went home that night in sorrow. The travail in birth 
 was heavy upon me. I had sorrow upon sorrow. I 
 read, I prayed, I laboured, I laid down on my bed in> 
 sorrow." His sorrow arose from the conviction he- 
 felt of the danger Daniel was in while unsaved, from: 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 25 
 
 a sense of the responsibility he was under as his 
 spiritual adviser, and from the deep feeling of inability 
 to direct aright. But, notwithstanding this sorrow, he 
 was found early next morning at Daniel's house for 
 the purpose of trying to show him the way of salvation, 
 and he took with him the written account of his own 
 conversion wdiich had previously had such an effect on 
 Maxfield. 
 
 The natural timidity of Mr. Bourne made it a great 
 cross for him to go and speak to his cousin on the 
 subject of his personal salvation, but he found Daniel 
 waiting for him, and therefore his introduction was 
 easy. After some conversation Mi. Bourne rose to 
 depart, without offering to pray with the family, 
 although he felt it his duty to do so, for he had never 
 yet prayed aloud in the company of any one. When 
 leaving he asked Daniel to accompany him. Mr* 
 Bourne says : " As we walked together I explained to 
 him the nature of justification by faith and the new 
 birth ; I preached the gospel to him with all my 
 might ; I told him that Jesus Christ must b3 manifested 
 to him or he would never be born again ; I then parted 
 with him in great sorrow, and spent that Christmas 
 day in sorrow, for I feared he did not take sufficient 
 notice of what I said." This, however, was a glorious 
 Christmas day to Daniel, the best he had ever seen, for 
 while his cousin was talking to him on that memorable 
 road, he evidently received the regenerating grace of 
 •God ; as he expressed it afterwards, "he felt every word 
 to go through him 1 '' ; and he gave forth immediate 
 evidences of his conversion to God. On returning 
 home he found Mr. Maxfield and other old companions 
 
26 THE LIFE OF 
 
 assembled for the purpose of keeping up their Christmas 
 custom of carcl-playing. He told them at once that if 
 they would not go with him to heaven, he would not 
 go with them to hell. He then took up his Bible and 
 read to them aloud ; they listened to him awhile, and 
 then departed, saying, " Hugh Bourne has driven him 
 mad." This remark startled his wife, for she thought,, 
 if he had to be taken to an asylum what would become 
 of her and the children. Poor woman ! he had been 
 mad most of his life, and was now coming to himself. 
 " Old things were passed away, behold all things were 
 become new." He said in effect, "As for me and my 
 house, we will serve the Lord." To his cousin he said,. 
 "Where thou goest, I will go, thy people shall be my 
 people, and thy God my God." 
 
 The Christmas-day of 1800, already referred to,. 
 commenced a new era in the life of Mr. Bourne, and 
 was big with results for the whole region round about 
 Mow Cop. He says, " Daniel Shubotham set out for 
 heaven with all his might, and his doing so was 
 attended with mighty consequences. He proved a 
 champion in the way ; no difficulties could hinder 
 him, neither could opposition stay him, and he took 
 the same course with others as the Lord directed me to 
 take with him. In ordinary conversation he preached 
 Jesus and Him crucified. He did this with a greater 
 zeal than I had ever before witnessed." 
 
 We venture to make a slight digression here to notice 
 that Mr. Bourne and his colleagues learned early to 
 cultivate, what in after life he often earnestly recom- 
 mended, and which was designated, " the conversation 
 gift." This is the gift of taking hold of both God and 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 27 
 
 man in common conversation — the gift by which, while 
 waiting npon God in faith for the descent of divine 
 power, a Christian man may introduce soul saving and 
 personal religion into his discourse, and, by the 
 gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit, press upon an 
 unconverted person the importance and possibility of 
 being saved there and then. In the exercise of this 
 "gift," Mr. Bourne and his early friends often brought 
 about speedy results. Many persons at the table or 
 fireside, on the road, in the workshop, as well as in the 
 house of prayer, were thus helped into gospel liberty. 
 Often were sinners arrested, mourners comforted, and 
 penitents saved, while the early preachers of the 
 connexion were passing from house to house in the 
 discharge of their pastoral duties. Those who 
 personally knew Bourne, Clowes, and many of the early 
 fathers, will remember many marvellous effects produced 
 by their pious, well-directed, and well-sustained 
 conversations. They were men who lived for souls, 
 and could not live unless souls were saved — often they 
 could not sleep upon their beds, if the converting 
 work was not progressing — they fasted, prayed, wept, 
 groaned, struggled, walked, talked, preached, wrote, 
 laboured, believed for the salvation of sinners. This 
 is no doubt how we are to account for their marvellous 
 success, for the numbers they brought to Christ, for the 
 great increases on their stations, for the grand doings 
 of those early days. Is not this " gift " of spiritual, 
 soul-saving conversation, one of the " missing links of 
 our times ? " Might we not witness even greater success 
 than our fathers, did we but drink more deeply into 
 their spirit, and cultivate more earnestly their passion 
 for winning souls ? Why should not this be the case ? 
 
28 THE LIFE OF 
 
 In returning to our sketch, Mr. Bourne says, " My 
 natural timidity kept me back, but Daniel would not 
 permit it, saying, ' You have been useful to me, and 
 you must be useful to others,' and really in a short 
 time we became like ' flames of fire.' " 
 
 Daniel now sought the company of the pious 
 wherever he could find them, to obtain from them 
 counsel and aid ; while he at the same time sought the 
 company of the ungodly, for the purpose of preaching 
 to them the glad tidings which had proved so good to 
 himself. Daniel and Hugh became true yoke fellows, 
 and were very zealous for the Lord of Hosts. 
 
 Not long after Daniel's conversion, he became 
 intimate with another converted collier, Matthias 
 Bayley, Avho had been converted under an open-air 
 preacher from Burslem, said to be the only preacher 
 in the Wesleyan Burslem Circuit who at that time 
 held open-air services. These three — Hugh, Daniel 
 and Matthias — now formed a trio of earnest evangelists, 
 and the whole neighbourhood soon rang with their 
 marvellous doings. Their chapels were the pit banks 
 and open spaces. " In our conversational way," says 
 Mr. Bourne, " we preached the gospel to all — good and 
 bad, rough and smooth ; people were obliged to hear, 
 and we soon had four other colliers under deep 
 conviction of sin. I applied to Burslem, the head of 
 the circuit, for help, and laid the case before one of 
 the travelling preachers, but could not obtain any 
 assistance." 
 
 About this time Daniel was induced by Matthias to 
 attend a Methodist service ; at first he despised the 
 preacher, but towards the close of the sermon he was 
 greatly blest, and the full assurance of pardon and 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 29 
 
 •.adoption was sealed upon his heart. He immediately 
 resolved that he would visit all the houses in the 
 locality, and tell them what the Lord had done for his 
 soul. In carrying out this resolution he soon met 
 with discouragement, but he shortly rallied again, and 
 began with great vehemence to warn his neighbours 
 and fellow- workmen to flee from the wrath to come, 
 and seek salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. " He 
 spake the word of God with boldness,'' but at the same 
 time with great tenderness ; being accompanied with 
 Divine unction it seldom gave offence, but often 
 went to the hearts of those who heard him. By 
 Daniel's frequent and urgent entreaties Hugh was 
 •enabled to overcome his natural timidity, give his fears 
 to the wind, and enter fully into the converting work. 
 Mr. Bourne and his two companions were bent upon 
 •doing great exploits for their Master. " And soon," he 
 says, " were our labours crowned with success. Four 
 mourners were brought under deep conviction of sin, 
 and the blame of their not getting into liberty was 
 laid to my charge. This grieved me very much. I 
 was quite new in the converting work ; but I thought 
 a prayer-meeting might help us out of the difficulty, 
 and I proposed to pay a weekly sum for a Burslem 
 Methodist to come and hold a piayer-meeting with us. 
 I asked Mr. Burgess, one of the travelling preachers, 
 for help, but could obtain none from any quarter/' 
 About this time, Daniel and Matthias were talking 
 together one night, and proposed prayer, but neither of 
 them had ever prayed in public, and thought themselves 
 xmable to do so. However, Matthias produced a prayer- 
 -book, and searched it for a suitable prayer, but found 
 
30 THE LIFE OF 
 
 none. He remarked, as they had succeeded when 
 praying for pardon, they might succeed in a similar 
 way. So they began, and the Lord sent them help]; 
 afterwards they prayed together at every visit. Shortly 
 after this, by the consent of her husband, a prayer- 
 meeting was commenced at old Jane Hall's. " It was 
 determined," says Mr. Bourne, " that I should engage 
 in prayer at the first prayer-meeting. This was very 
 trying to me, for on the previous Ridge way class-meeting 
 I broke through, but it was far from satisfactory to 
 myself. Matthias opened the first prayer-meeting, and 
 I thought his the best prayer I had ever heard. Those 
 held at Burslem might have been called talking 
 meetings, but Matthias filled up his time with praying,, 
 with scarcely any talking, and the Lord gave me to see 
 the excellency of this. We then sang, and I followed. 
 The instant I began, heaven opened on my soul, and 
 my course throughout was glorious. Grace and glory 
 rested on me all the time I prayed. I may say, the 
 Lord on this occasion anointed me with the oil of 
 gladness, and fitted me to be a praying labourer. 
 Daniel followed, and afterwards one who had fallen in 
 with us from a distance. Next morning I told Daniel 
 what a blessing I had received under Matthias' prayer. 
 ' Why,' said Daniel, ' he is for praying no more because 
 he cannot pray as you did.' But when he heard what 
 I said, he replied — 'Well, if Hugh Bourne has been 
 blest, I will try again.' " The prayer-meetings went 
 on ; the four seekers soon found liberty — three of them 
 at the prayer-meetings, and one in the mine. The new 
 converts were famous talkers for the Lord, and soon, 
 that part of the country was very much moralised,. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 31 
 
 and the converting work spread among the colliers of 
 Kidsgrove, and indeed in all directions. At the time 
 of Congleton May Fair, in 1801, a powerful prayer- 
 meeting is said to have shaken the country round, and 
 the converting work broke out on all sides. One very 
 wicked woman, the wife of a collier who resided on 
 the mountain, was among the number. She was so 
 vile that her swearing and blasphemy were notorious — 
 even for Mow and Harriseahead. The sound of prayer 
 and praise reached her residence from the prayer- 
 n:eeting, and brought her into deep distress for the 
 salvation of her soul. She sought and found mercy,. 
 and became a woman of eminent piety as long as she 
 lived. 
 
 The providential manner in which these prayer- 
 meetings originated, the way in which timid y 
 inexperienced Christians were led to become energetic 
 workers for Christ, and the marvellous converting 
 power which rested upon them, cannot fail to have 
 awakened deep interest in the minds of our readers, 
 and led them to see that in these prayer-meetings the 
 new converts learned to travail in birth for souls. 
 They learned that the trial of their faith is more 
 precious than gold, and they learned to offer the 
 effectual, fervent, prevailing prayer. 
 
 Mr. Bourne relates one very remarkable instance of 
 a man named Samuel Harding, who had been dismissed 
 from an asylum as incurable, and was chained in his 
 brother's parlour at Mow Cop as a dangerous lunatic. 
 Daniel and Matthias, with others, went one Saturday 
 afternoon to try the effect upon him of believing prayer. 
 When they began to pray, he rushed in fury to the end of 
 
:32 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 his chain ; when they rose in faith he was subdued ; 
 when their faith gave way he became again furious, 
 till at length, a calm and patient faith won a glorious 
 victory, and the poor sufferer broke out in loud praises 
 to God. He continued to glorify God, and express his 
 gratitude to his praying friends until the hour of his 
 - death. 
 
 Can our readers dwell on the conversion of Bourne 
 and Shubotham, Bayley and a multitude of colliers, 
 the collier's wife and the lunatic on Mow Cap, without 
 catching the inspiration to enter fully into the travail 
 for souls, the converting work, the exercise of faith, 
 and the power of prayer ? The same glorious work of 
 conversion may undoubtedly be successfully promoted 
 in any neighbourhood by the faithful use of similar 
 means. Why not at once adopt these and similar 
 imeasures in every part of the country ? 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 A days prayer on Mow promised— -How he becomes Class-leader — 
 Open-air Preacher — Chapel-builder — School-master and Sunday 
 School Teacher— Builds Chapel at Harriseahead — Studies Greek 
 — Continues his zeal in open-air preaching. 
 
 The zeal of the new converts at Harriseahead soon 
 resulted in the conversion of their families, neighbours, 
 and fellow- workmen ; hence the prayer-meetings 
 recently established became centres of attraction and 
 scenes of great excitement. One of the regulations 
 for the conducting of these prayer-meetings was, that 
 they should not be continued for more than an hour 
 and a quarter at the longest. This regulation occasioned 
 many of the new converts "not to have an opportunity 
 of exercising in public prayer, which was to them a 
 source of great disappointment. At the close of one 
 of these remarkable prayer-meetings, when the people 
 were complaining of their shortness, Daniel Shubotham 
 said — apparently without any premeditation — " You 
 shall have a prayer-meeting upon Mow some Sunday,. 
 and have a whole day's praying, and then you will be 
 satisfied. " Xot long after this, when in similar 
 circumstances, Daniel made the same announcement, 
 which caused it to become a common topic of 
 conversation, and many of the new converts became 
 intensely anxious for its realisation. 
 
34 THE LIFE OF 
 
 About this time Mr. Bourne was enabled somewhat 
 to overcome his natural timidity by taking charge of a 
 class at Kidsgrove ; there being no other leader 
 available, he was prevailed upon to take the oversight 
 of the new converts at that place, and to discharge the 
 weighty duties of their class, leader, though it was 
 with fear and trembling. He continued to lead this 
 class, travelling three miles there and three back, week 
 by week, until other duties required him to relinquish 
 the post, when he made satisfactory arrangements for 
 Matthias Bayley to succeed him in the office, who 
 continued to fill it with good results for a number of 
 years. 
 
 We have seen with what timidity Mr. Bourne first 
 took part in a prayer-meeting, and with what trembling 
 he undertook the office of class leader, we shall not be 
 .surprised that when he was earnestly entreated to 
 preach the gospel to a regular congregation, his heart 
 failed him for fear ; and it was only after much 
 persuasion and mighty prayer that he could summon 
 sufficient courage to undertake the momentous work. 
 The circumstances were as follows : There had for 
 -some time been a preaching service held on alternate 
 Sabbath afternoons at the house of good old Joseph 
 Pointon, on the Cheshire side of Mow, which appears 
 to have been the only such service held in the locality. 
 But when the work of God broke out among the 
 miners of Harriseahead and the neighbouring places, 
 it was not likely that a fortnightly sermon would be 
 deemed sufficient. Mr. Bourne was earnestly desired 
 to supply the lack. It was believed that although 
 his efforts in public had been few and reluctant, 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 35 
 
 yet that such was his piety, zeal, and store of 
 useful knowledge, that if he could be prevailed 
 upon to undertake this work, his services would 
 be very acceptable to the people. Accordingly he 
 was pressed to allow it to be announced that on a 
 day when no preacher was planned he would hold 
 a service at the regular preaching house. To this 
 proposal he at length consented, and July 12th, 1801, 
 was the day appointed. The service was speedily and 
 widely published, while earnest prayer and powerful 
 faith were put forth on its behalf. The feelings of Mr. 
 Bourne himself were, as might be well expected, of a 
 very mingled and conflicting character. So troubled 
 was he at the weight of responsibility he had incurred, 
 and at what appeared to him the prospect of breaking 
 down in his w^ork, that he had little rest of mind from 
 the time he consented to preach till the hour of 
 fulfilling his engagement. 
 
 On the morning of the day appointed he could not 
 lead the Kidsgrove class, but had to request Mr. Bayley 
 to take the work. Most of the early part of the day 
 w r as spent by himself and many of his friends, in 
 fervent pleadings at the throne of grace for the rich 
 bestowment of the Divine blessing. He writes : " This 
 was to be my first attempt, and I felt much trial of 
 mind, for I never stood up even to exhort, except 
 once at a class meeting, and then my performance was 
 far from being satisfactory to myself. Still, notwith- 
 standing my fears, I felt a desire for the preaching to 
 be in the open air, but old Joseph Pointon was opposed 
 to it, so I gave it up. I did not expect more than ten 
 or twelve of a congregation in the house ; but this 
 
36 THE LIFE OF 
 
 afforded me consolation, as I thought less injury would, 
 be done by my failure." 
 
 Let us picture to our imagination his first attempt 
 to preach the gospel. The sun had climbed to the 
 height of his meridian splendour ; the birds were 
 pouring their sweet music on the midsummer air ; 
 the corn was waving in the fields, anticipating the 
 sickle of the approaching harvest ; all nature had put 
 on her beauteous summer attire ; the weather, it is said,, 
 was exceedingly fine ; the people were seen coming; 
 from every quarter, till old Joseph's house was of no- 
 use whatever to contain them, then the old man said,. 
 " It is like to be out of doors." In a field at the end 
 of the house we may imagine we see the trembling, 
 preacher take his stand, the rising ground before him 
 formed a natural gallery ; the listening, anxious throng 
 crowd round him on every side, and hear his quivering 
 lips announce the text, Heb. xi., 7, "By faith Noah,, 
 being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved 
 with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house,. 
 by the which he condemned the world, and became heir 
 of the righteousness which is by faith." This was the 
 first text of the great founder of Primitive Methodism. 
 We may easily fancy that we see him, covering part 
 of his face with his eft hand, and with faltering 
 accents reminding his hearers of the better ark into 
 which all men are invited to enter, where they will ba 
 safe from the fiery deluge which threatens to over- 
 whelm every sinner. Losing his previously arranged 
 thoughts, and losing a measure of his courage too, he 
 becomes at a loss for a moment what to do ; at length, 
 it occurs to him to do as many others have done. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 37 
 
 under similar circumstances, namely, refer to his own 
 experience, and to speak to his audience as he would 
 to an individual on the simple plan of salvation — this 
 he did with force, freedom, and effect. He was greatly 
 exhausted at the close, and while he retired for a time 
 to Pointon's house for a little rest, his brother James 
 and others carried on a course of mighty prayer, 
 singing, and exhortation. One soul was converted, 
 the work of God in the neighbourhood seems to have 
 received a fresh impetus, and many were the tokens 
 for good which Mr. Bourne was afterwards permitted 
 to witness, as, more or less, the result of his labours on 
 this occasion. 
 
 It is worthy of note that the very field where Hugh 
 Bourne preached his first sermon on the 12th of July, 
 1801, was the very spot on which the first great Camp- 
 meeting of May 1807 was held. How little did he 
 imagine when he stood up that bright summer day, 
 with fear and trembling, that a work was being inaugu- 
 rated which should prove a blessing to the ends of the 
 earth. But so it was, and so God can still work by the 
 feeblest means to accomplish His most glorious 
 purposes. 
 
 We have just seen how Mr. Bourne became praying 
 labourer, class leader, and preacher of the gospel. We 
 now proceed briefly to notice how he was led to become 
 chapel builder. In connection with the revival which 
 was now going on, a cry was raised, as it has often 
 been since under similar circumstances, that a chapel 
 was needed at Harriseahead. Daniel Shubotham 
 offered to give part of his garden as a chapel site ; 
 to this offer Hugh Bourne responded, that although 
 
 C 
 
38 THE LIFE OF 
 
 but a working man he should have great pleasure in 
 giving the timber ; but as most of the new converts 
 had previously reduced themselves to poverty and 
 degradation by their intemperance and vice, it was 
 found that they were not able for the time to render 
 much financial aid in chapel building. The chapel 
 was built of brick and covered with slate, but was not 
 completed without mishap ; for before the roof was 
 covered one of the gables was blown down and the 
 roof fell in ; this, of course, added to the expense and 
 difficulties of the undertaking. Mr. Bourne in his 
 own way remarks, " I hope the Lord will have mercy 
 on anyone who has to pass through such scenes of 
 trouble." He was evidently animated by zeal for the 
 honour of God and the salvation of souls, to embark 
 in this new and somewhat formidable enterprise ; but 
 crowned were his self-denying labours with gratifying 
 success ; for this chapel, which seated about two 
 hundred persons, became the spiritual birth-place of 
 many precious souls, and a grand centre of influence 
 for the moral and spiritual elevation of the neighbour- 
 hood in general. 
 
 Soon after the erection of this chapel Mr. Bourne, 
 although he continued to devote great attention to 
 prayer meetings, class meetings, and preaching the 
 gospel, entered upon a new sphere of labour. For 
 the purpose of educating the children of the colliers, 
 he commenced a day school in the new chapel. He 
 also soon after began a Sunday School at both Harrisea- 
 head and other places, in which he became a Sunday 
 School teacher. During this time he devoted great 
 attention to the acquisition of Greek and Hebrew, in 
 
HUGH BOURNK. 39 
 
 which, considering his opportunities, he made consider- 
 able proficiency. He speaks very highly of the 
 "Wesleyan ministers in the Burslem circuit at that 
 time — the Revs. Joseph Taylor and John Grant — 
 from whose conversation he appears to have derived 
 great benefit, and from the latter of whom he received 
 lessons in Greek. 
 
 He soon, however, found that duties and studies as 
 school master, in connection with his other labours, 
 told unfavourably on his nervous system, and 
 compelled him to return to his former occupation. But 
 no change of circumstances diminished his zeal for 
 open air worship, in fact, his love for preaching the 
 gospel in the open air seems at this time to have 
 become almost a passion, which continued to grow 
 until it developed into the camp meetings of after 
 y^ears. At this period, also, a man w T as converted of the 
 name of Thomas Cotton, who became a great auxiliary 
 to Mr. Bourne as an open-air preacher. 
 
 Two practices at this period prevailed among the 
 Harriseahead new converts, which were productive of 
 very happy results. One was the holding of lively 
 prayer meetings at the close of every preaching service. 
 The other was the introduction of variety into every 
 class meeting. We give Mr. Bourne's own words on 
 this subject — " Not only," he says, "the appointed 
 leader, but the members themselves led occasionally. 
 They were also accustomed to dispatch, for if there 
 were 20 or 30, or more, they soon got through the 
 leading. They were generally in the exercise of faith 
 during the leading, and indeed in every part, and the 
 praying course was mighty. This class was long 
 
40 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 remarkable for the converting power ; many being 
 brought to the knowledge of salvation by the remission 
 of sins, and I never knew a class more owned of God. ,r 
 How would many of our modern classes appear if 
 compared with this wondrous class at Harriseahead ? 
 Would not the introduction of similar variety, faith, and 
 power into the classes of our own day give equal 
 efficiency, vigour, and success ? Why not every class- 
 leader give a fair and earnest trial to the methods so> 
 successful at Harriseahead. 
 

 is 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Hears thrilling reports of American Camp Meetings — Witnesses 
 the conversion of his brother William — Meets the Stockport 
 revivalists at the Congleton love-feast — The Htrriseahead class- 
 meeting the following night — The Christmas love-feast — The 
 great revival in which Clowes and others were saved. 
 
 It is not a little remarkable that at the time when 
 American Camp-meetings were originated, open-air 
 preaching was greitly revived by Mr. Bourne in England. 
 From reports published in the English Wesleyan 
 Magazine in the year 1802, it is evident that in the 
 }}receding year great out of door religious services were 
 held in Georgia and other parts of the American 
 continent, often being continued for several days, which 
 no doubt afterwards suggested the name of Camp- 
 meeting, as the people from long distances dwelt in 
 tents in the fields or woods during the holding of such 
 religious services. The published reports of these 
 successful American meetings roused a desire in the 
 people around Mow to hold similar services, or at least 
 to have the promised day of prayer on Mow. Bourne 
 and Cotton were very favourable for the fulfilment of 
 this promise, but others, thinking open-air services 
 •disorderly and unnecessary, were opposed to it ; 
 therefore things continued in their ordinary course, 
 
42 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 About this time Mr. Bourne had the unspeakable joy 
 of witnessing the conversion of his brother William, 
 who was a very strong, athletic man, who joined the 
 Society of Friends, emigrated to America, and became 
 a travelling minister of that body. 
 
 In 1803 Mr. Bourne's diary speaks of his great 
 mental conflicts, his increasing desires for greater 
 holiness and usefulness, and the numerous calls for his 
 zealous labours. He gave his Sabbath labours to 
 Burslem and Tunstall, and several other places were 
 on his week-night plan. He was very useful in bringing 
 sinners to the Saviour and training new converts as< 
 conversation preachers and praying labourers. 
 
 In 1804, he and his friends were much excited by 
 the news which came over from the Western Continent 
 respecting Camp-meetings, and they were led to pray 
 that the Lord would give them a Camp-meeting, 
 but the set time to favour Zion was not yet come. 
 
 It is rather remarkable that up to this time Mr. 
 Bourne, although a reader of Mr. Wesley's works and 
 Methodist literature in general, does not appear to have 
 obtained any definite idea on entire sanctification as 
 taught therein. In the autumn of 1804 he came, 
 however, in contact with certain revivalistic Methodists 
 from the neighbourhood of Stockport, whom he met at 
 a love-feast at Congleton ; and their faith, zeal, and 
 earnestness, in regard to this important doctrine,, 
 directed his attention very effectually to the subject. 
 The writer was very well acquainted with some of 
 these Stockport revivalists. They were remarkable 
 men indeed ; they were accustomed to hold a weekly 
 revival band meeting, and each one was fully expected 
 
HUGH BOURN!:. 43 
 
 to be living in the enjoyment of full salvation. They 
 were in the habit of holding cottage prayer meetings 
 after the Sunday evening services, at which many souls 
 were saved and believers sanctified. They were also 
 accustomed to send deputations from their number 
 to attend various love-feasts in different parts of the 
 country, which visits were often greatly blest. We 
 have heard some of them again and again recount 
 wondrous triumphs of faith. Two of them, with whom 
 we were well acquainted, were very remarkable and 
 very successful class-leaders — each of the two had more 
 than one hundred members under his charge. Would 
 to God that we had now many such men throughout . 
 the length and breadth of the connexion ! Need we 
 wonder at the results of their visit to Congleton love- 
 feast, an account of which we subjoin in Mr. Bourne's 
 own words : " The speaking," he says, " was powerful, 
 that of the revivalists in particular ; they sang revival 
 hymns with good effect and I was greatly blest. I sat 
 in the gallery and two of the revivalists sat in the 
 pew before me. One leaned back and asked whether 
 the Lord had cleansed my heart, but I did not under- 
 stand him. In the love-feast they spoke very pointedly 
 of full sanctification. After the love-feast we went 
 into Mr. Clarke's house to have a meeting with the 
 Stockport men. I was surprised at their earnestness, 
 zeal, and faith. They urged a full and present salvation, 
 and then prayed with some of our men who obtained 
 the blessing. Some were praying, some were talking, 
 some were praising and shouting. It was nearly as 
 rough as a Harriseahead meeting. One came and prayed 
 for me, another talked to me. I felt power come. They 
 
44 THE LIFE OF 
 
 asked me if the Lord had washed my heart ; I said He 
 was blessing me. On our return, we, the Harriseahead 
 peoj)le, edified one another. The evening following 
 (Monday), I attended the class-meeting in Harriseahead 
 Chapel, the proceedings were more free than usual in the 
 singing, leading, and prayer. The person who prayed had 
 immediate assistance from the faith of all who were 
 present, the whole meeting being united. The brethren 
 laboured with all their heart and mind and voice, and 
 the noise was heard afar off, and all were in a 
 heavenly uniting faith before the Lord ; and in my 
 opinion there was the greatest outpouring of the Holy 
 Ghost I had ever known. The surrounding country 
 was shaken, the veil was taken from many hearts, and 
 we had so much work in praying for mourners that we 
 gave up praying for a Camp-meeting ; and the greatest 
 part of Burslem circuit was moved. It was the greatest 
 time of power I had ever known. I was humbled 
 down at this Monday night's meeting, and shown the 
 manner in which the Stockport men worshipped ; I 
 came by simple faith and obtained the blessing. After 
 the meeting was concluded, the power came in such a 
 degree that we began again and again, and for some 
 time I could scarcely stand or speak, so great was the 
 power of God upon us." 
 
 On the following Christmas day the Stockport 
 revivalists again attended a love-feast at Congleton, 
 when, as before, they were met by the Staffordshire 
 Methodists. Mr. Bourne says " they were stronger in 
 faith than we were, and I was much established by 
 going among them. Since their coming many have 
 obtained clean hearts, and the work has been great 
 among sinners." 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 45 
 
 In the Christmas week a love-feast was held in 
 Harriseahead Chapel, which was so crowded that people 
 stood on and between the seats. They came from all 
 parts of the compass, twenty souls were brought into 
 gospel liberty, and many were baptized with the revival 
 spirit. Among these was Mr. James Steele, who had 
 long held an influential position among the Tunstall 
 Wesleyans, and who afterwards became a pillar in the 
 Primitive Methodist church. He was of good social 
 position, a Wesleyan local preacher, the leader of two 
 classes, and superintendent of the Sabbath School. In 
 former years he had been full of revival power, but 
 latterly had become comparatively quiet. But the 
 Harriseahead love-feast, in which he took an active part, 
 was the means of stimulating him and many others to 
 redouble their exertions for the promotion of the work 
 of God. Almost immediately a great revival took place 
 in which, among others, William Clowes, Thomas 
 Woodnorth, James Nixon, and William Morris, were 
 iDrought to God. In William Clowes we have the second 
 salaried travelling preacher in the Primitive Methodist 
 •connexion. J. Xixon and T. Woodnorth, two working- 
 men, out of love for precious souls and for 
 their blessed Saviour, voluntarily paid his salary 
 out of their weekly earnings. W. Clowes went 
 through the length and breadth of the land like a 
 flame of fire ; no doubt thousands were converted 
 through his successful labours. A careful and prayerful 
 reading and study of his most marvellous life cannot 
 fail to result in the greatest possible good, especially to 
 the thousands of young people throughout the 
 connexion. Between Bourne and Clowes a remarkable 
 
46 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 union of spirit soon grew up ; wonderfully were they 
 fitted to aid and strengthen each other in those 
 evangelistic labours into which they had now so heartily 
 and unitedly entered. For many years they were 
 united as David and Jonathan, or as Wesley and 
 Whitefield, and they have been long more closely 
 united still, before the throne of God and of the 
 Lamb. Mr. Bourne and his companions often spoke 
 at this time of growing in grace, of being sealed by the 
 Spirit, of possessing the spirit of burning, of travailing 
 in birth for souls. These and similar expressions- 
 indicate a state of mind, a compassion for the perishing,. 
 a faith in God, a zeal for the divine glory, of which we 
 witness far too little in the present day. Would not a. 
 return of this early spirit of Primitive Methodism 
 certainly secure a repetition of early success ? that 
 this simple narrative of conversions might at once fill 
 all our people with a holy inspiration to work and 
 labour for equal or even greater triumphs of the gospel 
 of Christ. With our increased chapel accommodation,, 
 with the tens of thousands of young people in our 
 Sabbath Schools, with our augmented educational 
 advantages, ought we not to realise more glorious 
 success than in earlier days ? 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Hears Lorenzo Dow preach, and reads his pamphlets — Is much 
 impressed — Fixes the time for riist English Camp-meeting — 
 Account of its proceedings — Prepares for a second Camp-meeting 
 on Mow and one at Norton — His separation from the Wesleyan 
 Society — His giving up manual labour — His devotion to evangelistic 
 work and religious processions. 
 
 In the year 1806 the Methodist magazines which were 
 commonly circulated in the neighbourhood of Mow 
 contained reports of the American Camp-meetings- 
 which were eagerly read. At this time, also, Lorenzo 
 Dow had arrived in England, and was preaching and 
 testifying to the marvellous doings at these meetings. 
 These reports excited in Mr. Bourne and his friends 
 a desire to try the effect of similar meetings in England. 
 In April, 1807, Dow preached at Harriseahead, Burslem,, 
 and Congleton ; at each place Mr. Bourne embraced 
 the opportunity of hearing him. His appearance was 
 very striking. His eye was bright and deep set ; his- 
 hair was dark and long, hanging over his shoulders ; 
 his visage was elongated and well defined ; the tones 
 of his voice were deep and solemn ; his address was 
 pungent and powerful. In social intercourse as well as 
 in preaching he dealt very faithfully with the company 
 around him ; so that he was very successful in the 
 promotion of personal holiness among professors of 
 religion, and the conversion of sinners to God. His 
 
48 THE LIFE OF 
 
 oral statements respecting the American Camp-meetings 
 were very interesting, and the pamphlets he circulated 
 widely extended the influence of those statements. 
 Prom hearing Lorenzo Dow and reading his pamphlets 
 Mr. Bourne was led to the firm determination that a 
 Camp-meeting should be held in his own neighbourhood. 
 
 Full of the subject he went to the class-meeting at 
 Harriseahead, and proposed to the members that the 
 first English Camp-meeting should be held at Norton 
 during the time of the wakes. The proposal was 
 warmly entertained, but the question was raised, " Why 
 cannot we first have our day's meeting on Mow ? " It 
 was at once resolved that on the 31st of May should be 
 held the long expected Mow meeting. No sooner was 
 the resolution formed than they went at once unitedly 
 to the throne of grace ; faith rose, and of their success 
 they soon became confident. 
 
 The news that the meeting on Mow was now definitely 
 fixed spread so rapidly, that Mr. Bourne says " it 
 flew through the country as if it had gone on the 
 wings of eagles." Prayer was offered incessantly for 
 favourable weather, for a large gathering of people, for 
 much divine influence, and for great spiritual results. 
 When the morning came, crowds of people flocked up 
 from all surrounding places ; and at six o'clock the 
 long-looked-for Mow meeting began. 
 
 The following is from Mr. Bourne's own pen : — " The 
 morning proved unfavourable, but about six o'clock 
 the Lord sent the clouds off, and gave us a pleasant 
 day. The meeting was opened by two devoted men 
 from Knutsford, Captain Anderson having previously 
 erected a flag on the mountain to direct strangers ; these 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 49" 
 
 three and some pious people from Macclesfield carried 
 on the meeting for a considerable time in a most 
 vigorous and lively manner. The wind was cold, but 
 a grove of trees kept it off. The congregation rapidly 
 increasing, another preaching stand was erected in a 
 distant part of the field under the shelter of a stone 
 wall. Returning from the second stand, I found a 
 company at a distance from the first stand, praying with 
 a man in distress. I could not get near, but I found 
 such a degree of joy and love that it was beyond 
 description. Nearer the first stand was another 
 company praying with mourners, a number of whom 
 found peace with God. Meantime preaching went on 
 without intermission at both stands, till about noon, 
 when the congregation had so much increased that we 
 were obliged to erect a third preaching stand. I got 
 on this stand and was extremely surprised at the 
 amazing sight that appeared before me. Thousands 
 hearing with attention as solemn as death, presented a 
 scene of the most sublime grandeur that my eyes had 
 ever beheld. Preachers seemed to be fired with 
 uncommon zeal, and an extraordinary unction attended 
 their word, while tears were flowing and sinners 
 trembling on every side. Many preachers were on the 
 ground from Knutsf ord, Congleton, Wheelock, Burslem, 
 Macclesfield, and other places. The congregation 
 increased so rapidly that a fourth stand was called for. 
 The work now became general, and the scene was most 
 interesting — thousands were listening with solemn 
 attention. A company near the first stand were 
 wrestling in prayer for mourners, and four preachers 
 were preaching with all their might. This extraordinary 
 
50 THE LIFE OF 
 
 scene continued till about four o'clock, when the people 
 began to retire, and before six they were confined to 
 •one stand. About seven o'clock the work began among 
 children, six of whom were converted before the 
 meeting closed. About half-past eight this extraordinary 
 meeting broke up, and the people separated, saying 
 " we have seen strange things to-day." 
 
 Such is a brief description of the first English 
 Camp-meeting which is noticed on every member's 
 quarterly ticket, " First Camp Meeting held May 31st, 
 1807." The moral and spiritual effects of this first 
 Camp meeting were very great ; it exerted a mighty 
 influence for good on the surrounding population, and 
 the cause of Methodism received a new and powerful 
 impetus. Many competent judges pronounced the 
 opinion that more good had been done at that one 
 meeting, than at all the preaching services in the 
 locality the preceeding twelve months. Notwith- 
 standing this success, a powerful tide of opposition 
 against such meetings arose both from the world and 
 the church. Some of the Wesleyan ministers issued 
 placards against the Camp meetings. The Wesleyan 
 Conference of this same year, 1807, passed the following 
 resolution : — 
 
 Q. — What is the judgment of the Conference 
 concerning what are called Camp meetings ? 
 
 Ans. — It is our judgment that even supposing such 
 meetings to be allowable in America, they are highly 
 improper in England, and are likely to be productive 
 of considerable mischief ; and we disclaim all 
 -connection with them. 
 
 However strange this opposition may appear 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 51 
 
 at the present day it was very trying to the faith, 
 patience, and perseverance of Mr. Bourne, the more so, 
 •as nearly all his co-workers were unsettled by it ; even 
 his brother James for a time seemed to have hesitated 
 as to the propriety of persevering in the movement ; 
 hut Hugh nobly stood his ground, being fully satisfied 
 that the work was of God, that man could not over- 
 throw it, and that it was his duty to uphold the new 
 system. 
 
 Shortly after the first Camp-meeting Mr. Bourne and 
 his friend Mr. Clowes paid a visit to James Crawfoot, 
 who was called " the old man of the forest." He 
 resided on Delamere Forest, about thirty miles from 
 T3emersley ; he was a Wesleyan class leader and local 
 preacher, but many eccentric things were reported of 
 him, and he afterwards became the first salaried 
 travelling preacher in the new community, his salary of 
 ten shillings a week being paid out of their own earnings 
 by the two brothers, Hugh and James Bourne. 
 Crawfoot was evidently a man of great originality and 
 force of character ; he was pre-eminently distinguished 
 for a knowledge of the deep things of God. Of the 
 way of faith and the manner of bringing divine 
 influence upon other persons, the doctrine of a free, 
 full, and present salvation, obtained by a present faith 
 in the great atonement of Christ, he had such a 
 clearness of perception and firmness of grasp as 
 rendered him of considerable service to the Primitive 
 Methodist denomination in its infancy ; and to both 
 Mr. Bourne and his friends, for some considerable 
 time, the old man was a sort of oracle on the great 
 verities of religion. 
 
52 THE LIFE OF 
 
 After returning from the old man of the forest, Mr. 
 Bourne gave unremitting attention to necessary 
 preparations for the second Mow Camp-meeting which- 
 was to be held in July to counteract the effects of the- 
 neighbouring wakes, and was intended to be continued 
 for several days. He gave all possible attention to the- 
 securing of a suitable plot of land on which to hold 
 the meeting, and the due publication of the same. He 
 published a pamphlet, giving a full report of the first 
 meeting and offering suggestions for the guidance of 
 the second. He walked to Lichfield to secure a 
 license for the ground, but being told by the Registrar 
 that no license could be granted unless there was a 
 building on the site, he next set to work to erect what 
 he called a tabernacle and some tents in which 
 preaching and praying services could be held. He 
 then made a second application for a license which he 
 obtained by post in due course. His next step was to 
 secure at Stafford, by a personal application, a preacher's 
 license, that he might be prepared for every kind of 
 opposition he was liable to encounter. Being thus 
 under the requisite legal protection he proceeded to 
 affix to the tabernacle a notice to the effect that it was 
 duly licensed for divine worship, and to caution 
 disturbers that they would be dealt with according 
 to law. Beside these preparations, Mr. Bourne 
 went to Knutsford and Macclesfield to secure the 
 aid of suitable labourers, and on his return made 
 ample provision for the physical wants of the crowds 
 whom he expected to attend. All the expense and 
 labour he cheerfully bore alone, except what his brother 
 James was pleased to render, and a solitary shilling given. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 5I> 
 
 by a stranger. Thin, however, he regarded as the least 
 of the responsibilities incurred by him in his under- 
 taking. 
 
 At length the time for the anticipated meeting has 
 arrived. July 18th is still and has long been a 
 memorable day in Primitive Methodism. On that day 
 hundreds of ministers enter their newly accepted 
 spheres of labour. It w T as on Saturday evening, July 
 18th, 1807, that the preliminary service of this second 
 Camp-meeting was held. Would not our readers like 
 to have witnessed the scene : the weather was beautiful, 
 the sky was clear and serene, the feathered songsters 
 were pouring their sweet music on the calm evening 
 air, Mr. Bourne and a number of his praying friends 
 were seen crossing the field from different directions, 
 and entering the rural tabernacle on the mountain side. 
 It is easy to imagine the scene within ; we can almost 
 fancy at this distant day that we hear the mighty, 
 earnest prayers of the deeply anxious company going 
 up through the rude roof of the tabernacle to the 
 throne of God. 
 
 We cannot perhaps do better than give an account of 
 this Camp-meeting from the pen of Mr. Bourne himself. 
 He says : — " About six o'clock on Sunday morning the 
 voice of united worship sounded on Mow Cop. The 
 Lord was graciously present, and a holy unction 
 attended the services. Ere long the converting work 
 broke out, and praying with mourners began with 
 power, and I regretted it being stopped for breakfast, 
 but it soon broke out again and went on with power. 
 People came flocking in from Knutsford, Macclesfield, 
 Stockport, Warrington, and other places. My tabernacle 
 
 D 
 
 / 
 
54 THE LIFE OF 
 
 was filled, and we had hosts outside. The praying 
 and preaching were going on most of the day together, 
 and the praying labourers when rather exhausted 
 would go back to the preachings, wait till again 
 invigorated, then go back to one of the praying 
 companies,, and then fall in again ; the extent and 
 continuation of the prayings exceeded all that I had 
 ever witnessed." 
 
 It is highly gratifying that about 40 persons found 
 salvation on this day, and on the Monday about 20 
 more. On Tuesday the attendance was not so large, 
 and at night the meeting closed. The effects of the 
 services, in neutralizing the vicious influence of the 
 wakes, and promoting a revival of religion, were very 
 great. 
 
 Soon after this meeting Mr. Bourne visited 
 Warrington, Risley, Runcorn, and Delamere Forest, 
 for the purpose of conversing with eminently spiritual- 
 minded persons belonging to the Independent 
 Methodists and Society of Friends, to whom he was 
 much attached, and no doubt to invoke sympathy and 
 prayer on behalf of his new movement. 
 
 On his return, the Norton Camp meeting was held 
 at the time of the wakes in that place, which was 
 provided with tents, and continued for three days. A 
 very great amount of good was done. 
 
 At the Norton Camp meeting Mr. Bourne was 
 requested by a person from Laskedge to go and preach 
 in his house, a society was soon raised up at the place, 
 and the Leek "Wesleyan circuit was induced to take 
 charge of it. At this time a course of missionary 
 labour was opened up before Mr. Bourne and his 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 55 
 
 friends. At Tean, a village some twenty miles from 
 Bemersley, they preached in the open air, raised a 
 society and joined it to the Wesleyans. They had also 
 signal success at Kingsley, Farley, Kamsor, Wootton, 
 and Market Drayton. On the first Sabbath in May, 
 1808, they held an open-air service on a mountain in 
 Shropshire, called the Wreckin, near Wellington, for 
 the purpose of counteracting the ungodly revellings on 
 i hat spot at that period of the year, which proved very 
 successful. 
 
 As the labours of Mr. Bourne and his friends were 
 now becoming very multiplied, he prepared a written 
 plan of their appointments and circulated it among 
 the labourers. In the carrying out of this gratuitous 
 work they had frequently to endure great fatigue, 
 great expense, and great persecution, even till on some 
 occasions they had to seek the protection of law. 
 
 The third Camp-meeting on Mow, which was held in 
 1808, was left entirely to Mr. Bourne, his brother 
 James, Mr. Cotton, and a Macclesfield friend as 
 preachers ; none of the Tunstall or Burslem Wesleyans 
 came to their help. " This," says Mr. Bourne, " was 
 the seventh and last Camp-meeting while I was with 
 the Wesleyans, and I never knew of any member 
 leaving the Wesleyans through these meetings.'" At 
 this meeting he read aloud during the dinner hour, to 
 keep the minds of the people engaged with spiritual 
 things, and to aid their waiting on God for the descent 
 of the Holy Spirit, and this practice of reading at the 
 intervals of worship he often resorted to in after years, 
 both at Camp-meetings, tea meetings, and while the 
 people were gathering to other services, before the 
 
56 THE LIFE OF 
 
 time of commencement. Some months before this 
 Mow meeting, he drew up rules for holy living, got 
 them printed on a handsome handbill, and circulated 
 them freely on the ground. Our limited space will 
 only permit us to give an abridgment of these rules. 
 
 Rule 1. — Endeavour to rise early in the morning r 
 for this is most healthful. Spend some time in private- 
 prayer ; give yourself with all your concerns up to- 
 God ; and if possible get the family together before 
 going to work, pray with them, and for them, and 
 recommend them to God. 
 
 2. — While at work lift up your heart to God, and if 
 possible get a little time in private once or twice a day 
 to kneel before God. 
 
 3. — At night be sure to get the family together on 
 their knees, pray with them, and for them ; before- 
 going to bed spend some time on your knees, and 
 pour out your soul before God, and remember God i& 
 present. Psalm cxxxix. 
 
 4. — If you are able, read a chapter or part of a 
 chapter in the Bible every day. 
 
 5. — If you are not born again pray for God to show 
 y r ou the need of it. 
 
 6. — As ye have received the Lord Jesus so walk im 
 Him. 
 
 7. — On the Sabbath attend public worship as often 
 as possible ; avoid buying or selling, or talking about 
 worldly business, or doing any work that is unnecessary.. 
 Be sure to shave and clean shoes before Sunday, and 
 be as much afraid of sin as of burning fire. 
 
 8. — If the Lord call you to any public exercise, to- 
 assist in a Sunday School, He will give you wisdom and. 
 patience. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 57 
 
 9. — Now play the man, be strong, never mind being 
 reproached for Christ. 
 
 These rules need no word of commendation on our 
 part, but will be found valuable aids to growth in piety, 
 if prayerfully adopted, and regularly carried out. 
 
 On Thursday, June 23rd, 1808, on returning to 
 Bemersley from Delamere Forest and Warrington, Mr. 
 Bourne was communing with God on his homeward 
 journey, when an impression struck his mind forcibly, 
 but unaccountably, that he would shortly be put out of 
 the Methodist Society. He strove, however, to put it 
 away as if only a temptation. He writes respecting 
 this impression — " Having never heard a hint of the 
 kind, being also a chapel trustee, having spent scores 
 and scores of pounds in promoting the interests of the 
 Society, and hundreds of members having been raised 
 up out of the world by the means which the Lord had 
 •enabled me to set on foot, and feeling as if wedded to 
 the Society, I felt as if it could not be, and tried to 
 put the thought from me. But it remained till I found 
 it difficult to walk the road ; so, after a struggle, I gave 
 up ; and was instantly filled with joy unspeakable and 
 full of glory ; this enabled me to rest in the Lord, and 
 to be thankful indeed. Perhaps the Lord gave me this 
 notice to prevent the separation from being a trial too 
 heavy for me. On arriving at home I met the rumour 
 •of being likely to be soon put out. This caused me 
 to be thankful to the Lord for having prepared my 
 mind." 
 
 " On Monday, June the 27th, 1808, the circuit quarter- 
 day meeting held at Burslem put me out of the old 
 Methodist Society, without my being summoned to a 
 
58 THE LIFE OF 
 
 hearing, or without my being officially informed of 
 the charge or charges alleged against me." Mr. Bourne 
 felt himself wronged in this respect, being a trustee,, 
 he considered himself entitled to a hearing before 
 expulsion, which he evidently felt to be a very great 
 trial. When he asked the superintendent preacher 
 why he had been expelled, he only referred to his 
 tendency to set up other than the ordinary worship ; 
 while the circuit steward told him he believed he was 
 expelled for attending a Camp-meeting at Mow. He 
 had, however, this consolation that his moral and 
 religious character was unimpeached and unimpeach- 
 able, and also that many of the officials and members 
 expressed their deep regret at his expulsion, and their 
 wish to see him restored to the Society. It is clearly 
 evident that his only offence was his conscientious 
 and earnest labours in promoting the Camp-meeting 
 system. His separation from the Society he bore in a 
 Christian spirit, offering no retaliation, but in meekness^ 
 committing his way unto the Lord ; he continued to 
 build up the Wesleyan Society, by persuading his 
 converts to unite therewith, wherever and whenever 
 he had the opportunity of so doing. 
 
 At the very time of his expulsion he was actively 
 engaged in evangelistic labours at many, and some very 
 distant, places from Bemersley ; among which were 
 Laskedge, four miles ; Macclesfield, fourteen miles ;. 
 Drayton and Old Park, Salop, over twenty miles ; 
 Runcorn, over thirty miles ; Delamere Forest, twenty- 
 seven miles ; Kingsley and Tean, over twelve miles ;. 
 Wootton, Ramsor, and Lexhead, sixteen miles ; 
 Warrington, Risley ? and other places in Lancashire,, 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 59 
 
 over forty miles. Surely, we must say that it is 
 remarkable for a working man to be earnestly pursuing 
 extensive evangelistic labours in no less than four 
 counties — Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire, and 
 Lancashire. 
 
 Yet, amid all these evangelistic labours, Mr. Bourne 
 felt no animosity towards the Wesleyan Society ; he 
 spoke in the kindliest terms of Mr. Riles, who was the 
 superintendent preacher in the Burslem circuit at the 
 time of his expulsion, saying he believed him to be a 
 good man. Neither had he, evidently, any intention of 
 raising up a separate connexion. His only ambition 
 appears to have been the promotion of the divine glory 
 in the salvation of souls. He writes on this subject 
 in most emphatic words, "The ten thousands of the 
 gold of Ophir, would not have induced me to attempt 
 to make a split and set up a party. My wish was to 
 labour for the conversion of souls, and to have as little 
 to do with management as I could. I allow, in raising 
 up the mighty work, the Lord, contrary to my 
 inclination, had kept me in the front, and by His 
 terrors, He had compelled me to take the headship in 
 the Camp-meeting course." He goes on to affirm that 
 the Camp-meeting movement w T as not one of ease, nor 
 of conferring with flesh and blood ; but was raised 
 up by the hand of the Lord for the salvation of sinners 
 and revival of believers. 
 
 On Sunday, July 17th, another Camp-meeting was 
 held on Mow, being the time of the w^akes ; the Lord 
 sent plenty of preachers, and good w r as accomplished. 
 Mr. Bourne says that Thomas Cotton at this time 
 rendered great service at the various Camp-meetings, 
 
60 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and, being a poor man with a large family, lie and his 
 brother paid his wages for any loss of time he had to 
 sustain, and they also gave him a good deal of other 
 help. This good man was shortly afterwards expelled 
 from the Wesleyan Society for preaching at Camp- 
 meetings. 
 
 We now proceed to notice another important 
 transaction in Mr. Bourne's life. " After a time," he 
 writes, " I had an admonition from heaven to bring 
 my manual labours to a close, to give myself up wholly 
 to the work of the ministry, and to trust the Lord for 
 food and raiment. This was a trial to nature ; a most 
 severe trial. I used every means I could for weeks to 
 avoid it, till at last I was made sensible, that if I 
 persisted, my natural life would be taken, and when I 
 yielded up, I received a peculiar blessing from God, a 
 blessing I cannot forget." In harmony with this 
 impression he gradually withdrew from his worldly 
 business, but while he still continued to labour with 
 his own hands, he devoted all that his earnings yielded, 
 after supplying his wants in the most economical 
 manner, to promoting the spread of the gospel, partly 
 by paying other labourers for time and service, partly 
 by publishing tracts, handbills, and small books, and 
 partly by meeting the requirements of Camp-meetings 
 in every way necessary. 
 
 Our limited space prevents us from noticing Mr. 
 Bourne's visit to Leeds, Manchester, Warrington, 
 Runcorn, Ramsor, and other places of interest about 
 this period, but we may remark, in passing, that 
 on one of his visits to Warrington, the eminent Mrs. 
 Richardson — a lady of good position — was induced 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 61 
 
 under his ministry to start for heaven, who became a 
 successful preacheress, and a mother in Israel. A Mrs. 
 Eaton also was set at liberty, while he was engaged in 
 conversation with her. He also states that as he was 
 going to Warrington — the lane being full of militia 
 and other people — he preached to them as he walked 
 for about a mile and a half. This he regards as the 
 third processionary service with which he was 
 acquainted. The first was a walking prayer meeting 
 with the Stockport revivalists about 1804. The second 
 was a singing procession with the Harriseahead people 
 on the way to a Burslem love feast. And this the third 
 a walking preaching service. This will account for 
 the great interest he took in after years, in promoting 
 walking, singing, praying, and preaching services. His 
 journal also speaks of a great work at Ramsor and 
 other places, and as many as thirty starting for heaven 
 .at one time, also of Mr. Joseph Salt, a farmer, and his 
 wife getting converted, and becoming eminently 
 useful. He closed this year of 1808, which had been 
 •distinguished for many remarkable conversions, by 
 .attending, in company with Mr. Clowes, a very solemn 
 watchnight service in Delamere Forest. 
 
 Cannot our readers picture this wondef ul man before 
 them, praying and singing as he walks, preaching 
 as he walks for a mile-and-a-half, getting people saved 
 while conversing with them, without asking them to 
 kneel down or alter their position. Did he not eagerly 
 .seize every opportunity which presented itself to him 
 for doing good ; and all this while he was still 
 supporting himself and others by the labour of his own 
 hands. Would to God that many of our well-to-do people, 
 as well as ministers, would follow his noble example. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Continues manual labour for a time — Is assisted by Clowes, Alcock r 
 and others — Publishes the tirst hymn book — Calls Crawfoot into- 
 the regular ministry — Is aided by Mrs. Dunnel's popular 
 preaching — Formation of Stanley class — How he keeps his I irth- 
 <lay — Writes an important letter — Witnesses the expulsion of W.. 
 Clowes from Wesleyan Society — And in company with Crawfoot 
 goes on a mission to London. 
 
 We have seen the close of the year 1808. In the- 
 year 1809, Mr. Bourne pursued the same course of 
 Christian zeal and labour as that by which the previous- 
 years had been distinguished. Some of the events of 
 this year, as we shall see, had an important bearing on 
 the subsequent enlargement and prosperity of the- 
 work. During this year, in his numerous labours he- 
 was greatly assisted by Mr. Clowes. W. Alcock also,, 
 who was well known to the writer, rendered much 
 eminent service to the rising community, and was 
 induced this year by Mr. Bourne to begin to preach. 
 The principal Camp-meetings held this year were two- 
 on Mow, one at Ramsor, and one at Biddulph, the results- 
 of which were encouraging. Mr. Bourne, to support 
 himself and also other labourers, continued for a time- 
 to work with his own hands. In his journal at this 
 period he records among others the following entries: — 
 He writes, " Hay-making, and made great progress in 
 Greek. Hay-making all day, and J. Nixon came for me- 
 at night to go and lead Clowes' class. I went and had a. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 63- 
 
 good time. On September 22nd 1 worked very hard 
 in the cornfield. I was setting up corn after three 
 scythes, and by working quickly I often got time to 
 kneel in prayer behind a shock of corn." 
 
 In this year he also prepared and published a collection 
 of hymns, the title of which was, "A collection of 
 Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Camp Meetings and 
 Revivals, selected by Hugh Bourne.''' Most of these 
 hymns were of American origin, and were brought 
 over by Lorenzo Dow. No doubt many of our young 
 people would like to know which were the hymns this 
 first book contained. Among others the following were 
 inserted : — " My soul's full of glory," &c, " Come 
 friends and relations,*' &c, " See how the Scriptures are 
 fulfilling," &c, " Come all ye wandering pilgrims dear," 
 Ac." " Arise, Zion, rise and shine," &c, " The Lord's 
 into His garden come," &c, " Lift up your hearts, 
 Immanuel's friends," &c, " Come brethren dear who 
 know the Lord," &c, " On Jordan's stormy banks I 
 stand," &c. A better selection for his purpose it would 
 have been difficult at that day to publish ; he generally 
 suffered pecuniary loss by his early publications, but 
 much good was accomplished by them, and that was all 
 he desired. 
 
 The chief event by which the latter part of the year 
 1809 was distinguished was his calling out James 
 Crawfoot as a " Travelling Preacher," Crawfoot had been 
 for some years a Wesleyan local preacher, but probably at 
 this time had ceased to hold that office. Although he- 
 did not itinerate for more than three or four years, he 
 continued to preach and otherwise labour to do good, to 
 an advanced age, and when upwards of eighty, he 
 suddenly and triumphantly passed to the skies. 
 
'64 THE LIFE OF 
 
 The reasons for Mr. Bourne employing Crawfoot as 
 :a regular travelling preacher were twofold : sympathy 
 for the man himself, who was at this time in very 
 straitened circumstances, and sympathy for perishing 
 souls, who all round the country appeared to be " as 
 sheep having no shepherd." Mr. Clowes says he had 
 previously conversed with Crawfoot about his being 
 more fully given up to the Lord's work, and then laid 
 ihe matter before Mr. Bourne, who, having a little 
 money beforehand, felt himself called to spend a portion 
 •of it in thus forwarding the work so dear to his heart. 
 He engaged him for ten shillings a week, of which sum 
 his brother James voluntarily offered to pay half. The 
 stipulations on which Crawfoot was engaged were that he 
 should try to get souls converted, and should endeavour 
 to get them into some Christian church. And if any 
 person gave him money, he should take it towards paying 
 his salary. The old man's labours were very successful, 
 and the Bournes spent forty pounds in payment of his 
 salary, beside what was contributed by others. Many 
 souls were converted unto God during his missionary 
 labours — many in the public services, and many by 
 •conversation in the social circle. Many classes were 
 raised up and added to the Wesleyan or other bodies, 
 .and many believers were built up in their most holy 
 faith. It is believed that Bourne and Clowes them- 
 selves received great good from Crawfoot's conversation, 
 preaching, and prayers, and their success in after life 
 was greatly increased by his example and instructions. 
 
 About the beginning of 1810, Mrs. Dunnel, a very 
 popular female preacher who attracted large congrega- 
 tions, was invited to take part in various missionary 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 65 
 
 labours. Being at Bemersley, she was appointed to- 
 preach at Stanley, a village about four miles distant. 
 Mrs. Dunnel preached and had a good time. During 
 the following day, Joseph Slater and his wife — two- 
 back-sliders — were restored to the joys of God's salvation,, 
 and several others were converted. The visit of 
 the Bournes and Mrs. Dunnel to Stanley resulted in the 
 formation of a class of ten members, in the house where 
 the preaching had been held, of which Joseph Slater- 
 became the leader. The Stanley class consisted of five 
 male and five female members ; and it is remarkable 
 that Mary Slater was the last survivor of the Stanley 
 class ; she died in the triumph of faith in 18G5, at 
 Willenhall in the Darlaston circuit, aged eighty-three- 
 years, and, of course, in the fifty-fifth year of her 
 membership. This Stanley class was offered to the- 
 Wesleyans, and the subject was brought forward at the 
 quarter-day ; but Mr. Jonathan Edmondson, Superin- 
 tendent Minister, said that they would have it all im 
 their own hands, or else they would have nothing to do 
 with it ; meaning that the Stanley people must disclaim 
 all connection with the Bournes, and the Camp-meeting 
 movement. Then, said Brindley, in the quarterly 
 Meeting, if that it is, "ye mun lay your hands off it." 
 That this class was regarded as the nucleus of 
 the Primitive Methodist Connexion, is evident both 
 from the Deed Poll and the Society's quarterly ticket 
 of membership. 
 
 Mr. Bourne affirms in his journal that up to this point 
 he had no intention whatever of raising up a separate- 
 community, but of getting as many converted as he 
 could, and joining them to the Wesleyan or some other 
 
66 THE LIFE OF 
 
 church. "Up to this time," says Mr. Bourne, "we 
 laboured among the ^Yesleyans and they amongst us 
 without jealousy. But it now appeared to be the will 
 of God that we should take upon us the care of churches 
 in the fear of God ; and this had to be done with care, 
 with faith, with holy fear ; and as the Lord opened our 
 way we went forward." What other course was open to 
 them ? At what other conclusions could they reasonably 
 and conscientiously arrive ? What clearer indications 
 of Divine Providence could they require that God 
 designed by them to raise up a separate and distinct 
 -community ? Their reluctant acceptance of this grave 
 responsibility was immediately crowned with the 
 Divine blessing, for although the first class was formed 
 at Stanley, in March, 1810, with ten members only, the 
 community numbered, the following July, 136 members, 
 13 preaching places, and 10 preachers on the plan. 
 
 Very probably Mr. Edmondson little imagined what 
 results would follow his action in relation to the 
 Stanley class : and probably the Bournes, Crawfoot, 
 and Clowes had as little foresight of what would 
 follow. In the same month in which the Stanley class 
 was commenced, Mr. Bourne had the great joy of 
 leading his brother John and sister Hannah to Jesus. 
 In the following month he records in his journal the 
 manner in which he celebrated his birthday, which is 
 well worthy of attention, especially by our young 
 people. " Tuesday, April the 3rd," he records, " is my 
 birthday ; I spent it visiting from house to house ; on 
 the road a woman was brought into liberty in 
 conversation. At night I went to Clowes' class." The 
 following days he spent much time in family visiting, 
 
HUGH BOURNE. G7 
 
 conversation, and preaching, and saw several souls 
 saved. Some extracts from a letter which he wrote at 
 this time will give a little insight into his views and 
 feelings. He writes : " You must look to the power 
 that worketh secretly. You have the fountain within 
 you, and if you breathe out your soul to God, the power 
 will move the people that are about you. This is all 
 by faith. Your faith sets the arm of Heaven to work. 
 Even when not talking about religion, by breathing 
 your soul to God, the power will come on the people 
 about you for their benefit. The power will by faith 
 be brought on others ; even when in silence, or doing 
 worldly business, you may be doing good to others, 
 and if there be an opening you may talk about religion 
 and offer a present salvation without money or price. 
 But there is one point you should be well acquainted 
 with : As the power of God flows from you upon 
 others to enlighten, to convince, to comfort, to heal, and 
 to convert, so the powers of hell are likely to strike 
 upon you from others to wound and discourage you. 
 Therefore, when this is the case be not alarmed ; by 
 faith you will conquer.'* From this letter it may be 
 seen that the founders and fathers of the connexion 
 had to wrestle not only with flesh and blood, but against 
 principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness 
 of this world, and against wicked spirits in high places. 
 They were acquainted with what it meant to travail in 
 birth for souls, to feel deep compassion for the 
 multitudes of sinners around them. They clearly 
 understood and heartily endorsed the sentiment of the 
 venerable Joseph Benson, who says " there is 
 nothing honours God like faith ; and there is nothing 
 
68 THE LIFE OF 
 
 God honours like faith." It would have been interesting* 
 to have paid a visit to Delamere Forest, and to have- 
 overheard the Bournes, and Crawfoot and Clowes 
 engaged in solemn conversation upon the deep things 
 of God, and then seen them for hours pour out their 
 souls to Him in courses of earnest, believing prayer. 
 May we not at least realise such scenes in our 
 imagination, and catch the inspiration of their spirit 
 and example — men who seemed to live next door to> 
 heaven, and often looked in, while those around them 
 frequently felt that they were the citizens of the world 
 above. 
 
 At the midsummer of this year another event 
 transpired which exercised a potent influence upon the 
 Camp-meeting movement. At the June quarterly 
 meeting of the Burslem circuit, after making his 
 defence for attending Camp-meetings, it was decided 
 to take the name of Mr. Clowes off the plan ; and at 
 the ensuing visitation of the classes in September, his- 
 ticket of membership was withheld by the minister. 
 This decision left Mr. Clowes fully at liberty to devote 
 his marvellous energy to the interests of the rising 
 community. From this period more especially he 
 became united with Mr. Bourne, like David with 
 Jonathan. At the end of this year Mr. Clowes became 
 the second regular travelling preacher in the Primitive 
 Methodist connexion, his salary being ten shillings 
 per week, paid by two Tunstall working men, namely, 
 James Nixon and Thomas Woodnorth. From this time 
 Clowes went forth like a flame of fire as a missionary 
 through the country, and no doubt tens of thousands 
 will be the crown of his rejoicing in the day of the 
 Lord. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. G9 
 
 On the 15th of July in this year another very 
 powerful Camp-meeting was held on Mow at which 
 much good was done. " This was a day," says Mr. 
 Bourne, " to be held in everlasting remembrance ; I 
 believe the Lord has fully established the Camp- 
 meeting movement." 
 
 After this Camp-meeting Mr. Bourne made his way 
 to several places in the neighbourhood of Walsall and 
 Litchfield, where he had considerable success. His 
 first day's journey was 34 miles through drenching 
 rain. At this time he became acquainted with John 
 Benton, who, though a man of small literary 
 attainments, possessed considerable mental power and 
 force of character. Being greatly devoted to God he 
 became eminently successful in the conversion of souls. 
 He went as a missionary into the counties of Derby, 
 Nottingham, and Leicester, the Lord opening his way 
 and supplying his temporal necessities. His labours in 
 breaking up the fallow ground and raising societies 
 w r ere very extensive, arduous, and successful. 
 
 On September 3rd Mr. Bourne was at Stockton 
 Heath to take a service in the open air. While here a 
 man in the name of John Shegog brought him an 
 urgent request to visit London ; and after mature 
 deliberation, counsel, and prayer, he was convinced 
 that it was his duty to go. Hence for a journey to the 
 metropolis he began soon to prepare. James Crawfoot 
 was to be his travelling companion, and a great portion 
 of the journey was to be performed on foot, partly on 
 the ground of economy, and partly that more work 
 might be done for the Lord on the way. 
 
 Who cannot easily picture this scene to their 
 
 E 
 
70 THE LIFE OF 
 
 imagination. London — great London — Hugh Bourne 
 and James Crawfoot — two most singularly dressed and 
 strange looking men — to all human appearance most 
 unlikely to move the great capital of the Empire. The 
 mountainous character of the difficulties never entered 
 into their calculations ; for them a sense of duty 
 was quite sufficient — they trusted not in personal 
 appearance, not in literary attainments, not in rhetorical 
 address, not in worldly advantages, but in the power of 
 God. They did not expect their preaching to be with 
 enticing words of man's wisdom, but with " demon- 
 strations of the Spirit and with power." These were 
 two heroic missionaries, indeed, full of faith and of 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 On Thursday, September 20th, 1810, they set off for 
 the great metropolis, and had good success on the way. 
 At 11 o'clock on the Sunday morning Mr. Bourne 
 preached at Cannock Wood, and two souls were saved 
 while preaching. Two observations are suggested here. 
 First, that these conversions did not take place on the 
 Sunday evening, but rather in the morning service ; 
 and next that they took place in the preaching and not 
 in the prayer meeting afterwards. Might not such 
 glorious events more frequently transpire, were the 
 living word more powerfully mixed with faith by those 
 who preach as well as those who hear it ? On Tuesday 
 afternoon between four and five, just as the sun was 
 descending the western horizon, after a journey of five 
 days, these two unassuming but remarkable men were 
 seen entering the metropolis, and making their way to 
 Mr. Shegog's residence, which, it is recorded, they 
 found with very little trouble. These two devoted 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 71 
 
 missionaries immediately commenced the work which 
 had brought them to London. They went the same 
 night to visit a young woman who was greatly afflicted ; 
 she had been run over by a carriage about thirteen 
 months previously, and had continued speechless up to 
 that time. After her accident she had been seven 
 months in an hospital, and turned out incurable. After 
 leaving the hospital she was frequently in such severe 
 convulsions that she required two attendants night and 
 <hty. In answer to Crawfoot's prayer, the first night of 
 their visit, her speech returned, to the wonder of many ; 
 and in answer to united prayer on several subsequent 
 occasions, she was sufficiently restored in a few days to 
 do domestic work, and walked a mile to the place of 
 worship. This was, says Mr. Bourne, regarded as such 
 a miracle that it confirmed the faith of many, and it 
 was thought the sound of it would spread all over 
 London. During this London visit various instances 
 of conversion are recorded, great power in preaching 
 was felt, and quickening influences among believers 
 were experienced. But rather less than a fortnight 
 of London work seems to have satisfied Bourne and 
 Crawfoot ; for on Monday, October 8th, after the day 
 spent in family visiting, about six o'clock in the 
 •evening, they took coach for Newcastle, in Staffordshire, 
 where they arrived in about 35 hours ; which distance 
 can now be accomplished in considerably less than four 
 hours. It is worthy of notice that when Mr. Bourne 
 found that he had to spend two nights on the outside 
 of the coach, he purchased a pair of blankets in which 
 to wrap himself as a protection from the cold ; and when 
 asked why he purchased blankets instead of some other 
 
72 THE LIFE OF 
 
 clothing, he characteristically replied, he thought they 
 would be more useful when he got home. Although 
 the stay of these first Primitive Methodist missionaries- 
 in London was very brief, and may be reckoned in 
 harmony with "the day of small things," yet is it not 
 gratifying to think that ere the Connexion was six 
 months old an attempt was made to extend its influence 
 to the metropolis itself ? It is also matter for present 
 congratulation that the progress of Primitive Methodism 
 in London has been for the past quarter of a century 
 equal to, if not surpassing any other part of the 
 Connexion ; and if our friends in the provinces could 
 only be prevailed upon to render sufficient aid, it is 
 highly probable that Primitive Methodism would now 
 reap a more glorious harvest in London than even in 
 any other part of the United Kingdom. There are 
 now about six millions of population within the police 
 area of the metropolis. Ought not the Connexion to 
 multiply its missionaries among these surging masses, 
 by scores if not by hundreds. Ought not " the 
 piercing cry from outcast London" to reach every 
 heart in our beloved Connexion, and stir its compassion 
 for souls to its utmost depths, and produce at once the 
 most practical results. " Men of Israel help." 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Witnesses the expulsion of Nixon and Steele — First Tunstall Chapel 
 erected — First Society tickets printed — First printed preachers' 
 plan — Name of Connexion settled — Salary of unmarried preachers 
 fixed — Society rules agreed upon — He becomes General Superin- 
 tendent — Calls out S. Kirkland — Reads Joshua Marsden's 
 journal — Attends the Mercaston Camp meeting — A second circuit 
 made with Derby for its head. 
 
 After Mr. Bourne's return from London, he continued 
 his home missionary labours with unabated energy, in 
 the counties of Stafford, Chester, Lancaster and Derby. 
 No toil appeared to him too heavy, no journey too long, 
 no expense too great, no sacrifice too costly, if it only 
 enhanced the cause of the great Master. 
 
 On Monday, November 12th, of this year, he preached 
 his first sermon at Tunstall, in Mr. Smith's 
 kitchen, which had been licensed for preaching since 
 1807. Early in the year 1811, two events took place 
 which led to the establishment of a cause in Tunstall, 
 which has been of a very flourishing character to the 
 
 «■ o 
 
 present time. For sympathy with the ramp-meeting 
 movement, or with those who supported it, Mr. James 
 Nixon and Mr. Steele were expelled from the Wesleyan 
 Society. Mr. James Nixon beside being one of the two 
 who, out of their earnings paid the salary of Mr. 
 Clowes, was for many years a powerful local preacher 
 
74 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and class leader, he attained high distinction in the 
 Primitive Methodist Connexion ; became a Deed Poll 
 member of the Conference, and lived to a good old age.. 
 He was a mighty man in prayer ; when he visited his- 
 cousin (who lived neighbour to the writer), he would 
 exercise such a faith and power at family worship, till 
 an influence came upon all present that was really 
 overwhelming. 
 
 Mr. Steele was a man of considerable position and 
 influence ; he was a Wesleyan Class Leader, and 
 Superintendent of the Sabbath School. When his classes 
 found that their leader had been expelled, notwith- 
 standing his earnest entreaties to the contrary,they insisted 
 on still continuing under his leadership, and sharing 
 his lot. Being also expelled from the Sabbath School 
 he was followed by a great majority of both teachers 
 and scholars. We can scarcely suppress our wonder r 
 but we forbear from expressing any unfavourable 
 criticism upon the conduct of the Wesleyan authorities- 
 of that day. 
 
 After the above events had transpired, a large room 
 belonging to Mr. Boden was offered, in which the 
 School and regular preaching were commenced. The 
 preacher appointed at Mr. Smith's on the Friday 
 evening was desired to take the following Sabbath 
 at Mr. Boden's room ; and thus a work opened 
 at Tunstall which speedily acquired considerable 
 proportions. 
 
 The School and congregation increased so rapidly 
 that Mr. Boden's room speedily became too small, and a 
 chapel was rendered necessary. In this undertaking 
 Mr. Bourne performed the principal part ; in the 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 75 
 
 execution of this work economy and plainness were 
 carried to a very respectable length, for the building was 
 neither ceiled nor plastered, and the chapel was so built 
 that if not required long for its original purpose, 
 it might, without much expense, be turned into cottages. 
 This first Tunstall chapel was forty-eight feet long 
 and twenty-four wide. 
 
 In the year 1821, a second and much superior chapel 
 was erected, and the original one made into cottages. 
 Since then, under the excellent superintendence' of the 
 late Rev. Philip Pugh, a much larger and very beautiful 
 structure has superseded the second, which, with 
 the large and commodious school premises constitute 
 one of the best properties of which the Connexion can 
 boast. 
 
 In the early part of the year 1811, a general desire 
 was expressed by the rising societies for quarterly 
 tickets of membership ; this it was believed would 
 form a bond of union, and give an opportunity of 
 raising pecuniary support for the promotion of the 
 young and rising Connexion. Mr. Bourne very 
 characteristically enquired where the money was to 
 come from to pay for printing the tickets. To this Mr. 
 Horrobin replied that he would pay for them out of 
 his own pocket. " Then," replied Mr. Bourne," there may 
 be tickets." With general concurrence he ordered the 
 printing of the first P.M. quarterly tickets on May 30th, 
 1811, and on account of the peculiar circumstances of 
 the youthful community, the following text was printed 
 thereon : — " But we desire to hear of thee what thou 
 thinkest ; for as concerning this sect, we know that 
 everywhere it is spoken against." — Acts xxviu, 22. 
 
76 THE LIFE OF 
 
 The introduction of quarterly tickets gave an oppor- 
 tunity to the members of contributing to the support of 
 their ministers, and it also gave an opportunity for 
 pastoral visitation of the classes. In this work Mr. 
 Bourne took a large share ; he not only visited the 
 classes, but also the absent members. There is this 
 record in his journal: — "I have now visited every 
 member in this class except S. A., who was from home. 
 I felt ready to faint with fatigue." 
 
 On Friday, July 26th, Mr. Bourne attended at 
 Tunstall what he calls the first general Society meeting 
 in the Connexion, at which Mr. Steele was appointed 
 the first Circuit Steward, and many other important 
 regulations were adopted. 
 
 The latter part of this year 1811 was spent by Mr. 
 Bourne in visiting and building up the societies, 
 opening new places, and at the same time working with 
 his own hands, that he might not be chargeable to the 
 churches. 
 
 On the 13th of February, 1812, another very important 
 official meeting was held at Tunstall. At this meeting 
 it was decided to have printed preachers' plans, which 
 had been previously written, generally from the pen of 
 Mr. Bourne. The first plan contained the names of 
 twenty-three preachers and thirty-four places, the 
 greatest number of the places being in Staffordshire, 
 but a few in Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Lancashire. 
 
 At the aforesaid meeting, quarterly meetings were 
 appointed to be held in March, June, September, and 
 December. Also at the said meeting a lengthened 
 discussion took place as to what should be the name of 
 the new community ; and it was pretty unanimously 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 77 
 
 decided that the title "Primitive Methodist" should be 
 adopted. So little did the subject as to the name of 
 the Connexion trouble Mr. Bourne, that being very 
 much exhausted by previous labours, he slept during 
 the whole time of the discussion, and when they awoke 
 him they told him the name of the Connexion was 
 agreed upon. 
 
 After the meeting of February, Mr. Bourne found it 
 necessary to seek a little quiet and rest. But he was 
 soon as busy as ever, and we find about this time the 
 following entries in his journal : — " I visited from 
 house to house and had some success. I had a glorious 
 time in conversation. I spoke at Ribdin, led the class, 
 and the Lord was graciously present. At Woolton, 
 spoke in the afternoon, and was rather strait, but at 
 night had a gracious time in speaking from ' The stone 
 cut out without hands.' At Holland there was a young 
 woman who had been seeking the Lord for a long 
 time, and seemed at times to be impaired in her senses. 
 I spoke to her, and she was graciously set at liberty. I 
 •came to Thorpe and got to the house where we were 
 to have a meeting. It was a dark and rainy night. I 
 thought to ask the people to allow me to sit by the fire 
 all night ; and I was determined in that case to spend 
 a good deal of the night in prayer. I had a good time 
 in speaking. I came back to Woodeaves with Mrs. and 
 A. Bowler. I was engaged in writing for Rocester 
 chapel the greater part of next day." Mr. Bourne was 
 evidently at this time fully engaged in chapel building, 
 school organising, raising up new societies, leading 
 souls into salvation by his conversation, always and 
 everywhere at work, hard at work, early and late, to 
 
78 THE LIFE OF 
 
 help on the glorious soul-saving enterprise, to which he- 
 had devoted body and soul, life and health, mind and 
 money. 
 
 At the March quarterly meeting of 1813, the salary 
 of an unmarried preacher was fixed at £15 per annum.. 
 At this day such a sum may be looked upon as a very 
 modest amount ; but Mr. Bourne thought it quite 
 sufficient to supply his own needs, and it should never 
 be forgotten that early Primitive Methodism was 
 distinguished by great self-sacrifice and self-denial. 
 
 In the early part of 1813, the work spread rapidly in 
 Derbyshire. Mr. Bourne was very much occupied in 
 chapel building matters and general superintendency 
 of the rising community. Among other things he 
 originated a Tract Society. A pious female, who was- 
 in straitened circumstances, he offered to support for a 
 quarter of a year at least, that she might give her whole 
 time to visiting families, distributing tracts, and 
 seeking the salvation of souls. 
 
 In the early part of 1814, a code of rules was drafted 
 out for the guidance of the young societies by the pen 
 of Mr. Bourne, and after mature consideration and 
 improvement by the various societies, was generally 
 adopted. At this time also the necessity of a general 
 superintendent being felt, there being but one circuit,. 
 Mr. Bourne was installed into this new office, and 
 although he accepted it with much remonstrance, he- 
 fulfilled its duties with great diligence and assiduity. 
 
 While honourably filling this position, two things 
 gave Mr. Bourne considerable anxiety, namely, what he- 
 calls, "The Tunstall none Missioning law," and the 
 temporary failure of the Camp-meeting movement by 
 over-preaching. 
 
HUGH BOURN K. 79» 
 
 In relation to the first-named subject, a number of 
 the friends at Tunstall considered that there were as- 
 many societies as could be well attended to, and that 
 instead of opening new places, efforts should be- 
 devoted to the establishment of the societies already 
 raised. The object of edifying or building up the 
 churches already gathered is most commendable and 
 important, and is sometimes too feebly attended to ;. 
 but on no pretence whatever should the work of 
 Missionary aggression, on the part of Christians, be for 
 a single moment suspended. So felt Mr. Bourne, and 
 also John Benton, and those who co-operated with them 
 in Derbyshire. They pushed on, with great success, 
 the mission work at Derby and other places in that 
 county. 
 
 How the temporary Camp-meeting decline was arrested 
 Mr. Bourne fully describes in his journal ; and the 
 account seems to us so important, that we venture to 
 to give it at some length, He proceeds : — " After 
 much sorrow, much distress of mind, and much 
 praying, the Lord opened my way. Peter Phillips, a 
 Quaker Methodist, put into my hands the journal of 
 the Rev. Joshua Marsden, Methodist Missionary in 
 America ; in which journal was a particular account of 
 a Camp-meeting near New York, stating that the 
 intervals between the preachings were occupied by 
 groups of praying persons scattered up and down the 
 camp. The Lord blessed my soul with understanding 
 that this was what we wanted. So I sketched out a 
 plan for conducting Camp-meetings with praying 
 services in companies or circles ; and sent copies to 
 different places, hoping the system would take 
 
80 THE LIFE OF 
 
 somewhere. And to my great satisfaction old Mr. 
 Ride, of Weston, got a copy, and the Lord so moved 
 on his mind that he made preparations to hold 
 Mercaston Camp-meeting on that system. This caused 
 a deal of talk, and more so as I was the preacher 
 planned to attend it. Many were stirred up, wondering 
 what this new course would be ; among others was 
 John Benton who was expected to be at the meeting, 
 and I was glad in my heart when I saw him come ; 
 his zeal was to learn something for future usefulness, 
 ;SO on that occasion he was to me a complete right hand 
 man. And this was well, for we had opposition ; as 
 one local preacher put down on the plan to preach did 
 not fall in with us, but grumbled at being allowed only 
 an hour for his preaching. Shortly after the opening 
 of the meeting a shower of rain drove us into a barn, 
 and we set on foot two praying companies, some 
 complained, but we went on ; people got into faith, 
 and the praying was powerful. But after a while 
 there was a call outside that the weather was fair. 
 We resumed our open-air labours. A preacher gave 
 us some trouble, but at length we had a fair opening, 
 the praying course began, and one class leader who 
 had opposed set up a praying company himself. John 
 Ride was in this company, and they raised him into a 
 preacher, and he was a preacher ever after. The 
 labourings in this and the other company were mighty, 
 the work broke out, souls were converted. This was 
 glorious ; here was a triumph. Several other praying 
 companies were set on foot and the meeting kept rising 
 in power to its close. It will be evident this system 
 brought a variety of talent into action, and John 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 81 
 
 Benton entered into it with all his heart. He went off" 
 like a new man, and took a new course, holding at 
 times what the people called " little Camp-meetings," 
 that is open-air meetings of about two hours, on this 
 system. In these he would have the people praying 
 with all their might, and he was the same with indoor 
 meetings. So the Lord, by the Mercaston Camp- 
 meeting, opened out a new line of proceedings, and it 
 was like a new founding of the Connexion. And 
 when this method of conducting Camp-meetings wae 
 zealously carried out, it bore down all before it. And 
 from the Mercaston Camp-meeting the Lord set on foot 
 one of the greatest and most extraordinary religious 
 movements ever known in England. To His great 
 name be all the glory. 
 
 In consequence of this new mode of conducting 
 Camp-meetings, and of the missionary labours in 
 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire ; and also it appears 
 on account of a little unpleasant feeling which grew 
 up between the Tunstall non-mission party and the 
 Benton mission party, it was resolved to make Derby 
 the head of a second circuit. 
 
 Sarah Eirkland, of Mercaston, was employed by 
 Mr. Bourne, as a female travelling preacher in the 
 Connexion, at the remarkable salary of two guineas per 
 quarter, but which he paid out of his own pocket. She 
 laboured with great acceptance and success in the new 
 circuit, opening many fresh places, and producing 
 good results wherever she went. Mr. Bourne also 
 laboured extensively in the new circuit himself, and 
 at Derby, Nottingham, and surrounding villages he was 
 very useful. 
 
•82 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 The new Camp-meeting system was now in full 
 swing, the opposition to mission work gradually 
 ■declined, and a spirit of enterprise became general 
 throughout the Connexion. Mr. Bourne was now in 
 his glory ; his visage would often wear a smile 
 of complacency as he descanted upon the great 
 improvement which had been effected, and his faith 
 for better days and greater things would rise to a lofty 
 pitch of joyful confidence. Zion had travailed and 
 brought forth children. She heard a voice from 
 heaven saying, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and 
 let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation ; 
 •spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy 
 stakes. For thou shall break forth on the right hand 
 and on the left ; thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, 
 and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. " Isaiah 
 Jiv., 2,3. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 His great attention to children — Publishes a revival hymn-book — 
 A third Circuit made with Loughborough for its head — Circuit 
 Committees instituted- Commences a Connexional Magazine — 
 Becomes acquainted with Mr. Thomas Jackson — Characteristic 
 letter to him — Great increase in Tunstall Circuit — The Nottingham 
 preparatory meeting — Gives a description of a good Camp-meeting 
 preacher. 
 
 In the year 1816 Mr. Bourne appears to have given 
 -considerable attention to literary as well as other 
 labours. He commenced preparing a commentary on 
 the Scriptures for the special use of children. None of 
 this appears to have reached publication but the Gospel 
 according to John, which was edited for the Book 
 ■Committee by Dr. W. Antliff some time ago. The 
 •attempt at such a project for such a purj^ose suggests 
 his love for children, which was a very remarkable 
 trait of his character. Many are, no doubt, still living 
 w T ho have seen him gather the children around him, 
 •stroke them on the head and shake them by the hand, 
 tell them to say their prayers to the Lord in heaven to 
 take all the naughty out of their hearts, and put his 
 grace therein. It was an interesting sight to see them 
 clinging round him with such deep and childlike 
 interest, listening with reverence to his simple and 
 earnest words. In going through the street he rarely 
 passed a few children without stopping and giving 
 
84 THE LIFE OF 
 
 them one of his short characteristic addresses. He 
 appeared more at home talking to children than even?, 
 to adults. A sermon to children, gathering them all 
 round close to the preaching stand, formed an important 
 part of many of his Camp-meetings. He endeavoured. 
 to impress his preachers with the importance of never* 
 leaving the children out of their public prayers. If 
 any one omitted this duty he would immediately go to 
 him, and gently patting him on the back would say : — 
 " You did not pray for the children ; always pray for 
 the children." In visiting a Sabbath school he would 
 often make his way first to the alphabet class. He had 
 evidently very great faith in the Holy Spirit working- 
 upon the hearts and minds of very young children.. 
 Might not a great deal more be done in this direction, 
 both by parents, ministers, and teachers with good 
 results ? 
 
 Mr. Bourne published at this time a Revival Hymn: 
 Book, which was extensively used, while the singing 
 of its stirring hymns drew large crowds to hear the 
 word of the Lord ; the profits of succeeding editions 
 met the entire expenses of Mission work in the 
 midland counties. 
 
 In the remaining months of this year we find Mr.. 
 Bourne in every part of the Connexion. Now at Derby 
 and Nottingham — now at Tunstall — then at Warrington 
 and the Cheshire and Lancashire villages ;: and when it 
 is remembered that most if not all these visitations 
 were performed upon foot, his labours must have been 
 arduous indeed. 
 
 Under date of January, 1817, he speaks of being 
 foot-sore, making progress in Hebrew,, leading love- 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 85 
 
 feasts, making Sunday school hymns, preaching, being 
 ill, leaving off all solid food, taking cold water only, 
 having his foot dressed with boiled turnips and then 
 walking ten miles. Just imagine you see this 
 remarkable pedestrian near Warrington one day, and 
 the next night preaching at a place nearly fifty miles 
 distant, having walked every inch on foot, and that too 
 through the customary storm and rain in the month of 
 February, and the shortness of the day at that period of 
 the year. Ought not such a praiseworthy example to 
 fill all his followers with an ever increasing enthusiasm 
 for the glory of God in the salvation of souls ? 
 
 In 1817 and 1818 the work rapidly spread in the 
 neighbourhood of Nottingham and Leicester ; the head 
 of the second circuit had been transferred from Derby 
 to Nottingham ; and a third circuit had been made, the 
 head quarters of which were Loughborough. The year 
 1818 was rendered memorable by the origination of 
 Circuit Committees and the projection of a Connexional 
 Magazine. In the month of April this year, Mr. 
 Bourne issued the first number of the said Magazine, 
 which he intended to publish quarterly ; the pecuniary 
 responsibility of this, as well as many previous 
 undertakings, was sustained by himself. The first 
 month's issue did not seem to pay, and he was a 
 considerable loser. The publication therefore was 
 temporarily suspended, but within a few months it was 
 re-commenced as a monthly serial, of which he was 
 the editor for twenty-four years. In this capacity we 
 may pronounce him intelligible, practical, and useful, 
 and in many respects adapted to the circumstances of 
 his day. 
 
 F 
 
86 THE LIFE OF 
 
 At this time no Connexion al Book Establishment 
 existed, though now and then one loomed before the 
 eye of Mr. Bourne, and in the course of time his idea 
 was realised. In the meantime, the Magazine was 
 printed at Leicester, Derby, or Hull. When a book 
 establishment was begun, Bemersley, of all places, was 
 selected for it, which continued to be the head quarters 
 of the Connexional publishing department, until it was 
 transferred to the Metropolis in the year 1843. 
 
 In the year 1818, Mr. Bourne became intimately 
 acquainted with Mr. Thomas Jackson, who was early 
 associated with the Society at Belper, and shortly 
 afterwards became a popular and successful travelling 
 preacher. Some extracts of a letter written to him by 
 Mr. Bourne at that time, will, no doubt, be interesting 
 to our readers, and tend to give them a good idea of 
 Mr. Bourne's general character, and the deep interest 
 he felt in the prosperity of the Connexion. We give 
 the following : 
 
 "Dear Friend, — Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied 
 unto you from God our Father, and from the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. I feel truly thankful to God that He has, 
 in some degree, given you a fitness for the ministry of 
 the Word. But when I consider the various trials, 
 temptations, and difficulties, which attend the course of 
 the successful minister, I am impressed with anxious 
 feelings on your account. You have a powerful, crafty 
 enemy opposing you in every instance and in every 
 place. He will endeavour, by every means, to hinder 
 your usefulness; in every way. You will, therefore, 
 find it needful to live in the spirit of prayer, of faith, 
 and of watchfulness. It will also be useful to you to 
 
HUGH BOURN B. 87 
 
 consult with those who have been useful in the cause, 
 and who have had large experience in the ministry. 
 They, by painful experiences, have gained a knowledge 
 of many things with which you are scarcely yet 
 acquainted. Let your mind be always open to 
 instruction in these things. The great Reformer, 
 Martin Luther, laid it down as a rule, that 'a minister 
 should always be a learner.' I trust you will excuse 
 me taking the liberty to say, that there is one thing 
 which I think you have not sufficiently considered ; 
 the Apostle says : ' I have taught you publicly, and from 
 house to house.' If you continue to exercise a part of 
 this ministry, you will from time to time be introduced 
 into various families, and much of your success in public 
 will depend upon your conduct in those families. 
 Here, then, you will have to walk with the greatest 
 •care and circumspection. When you enter a house, 
 wait inwardly on the Lord for wisdom and direction, 
 rthat the Lord may make your coming in useful, and 
 that you may be preserved from speaking words out of 
 place. Endeavour to speak with care, gentleness, and 
 prudence. At the same time, wait on the Lord, that 
 your mind may be kept solemn, and that no lightness 
 ^contrary to Christian gravity may appear in your 
 behaviour. A preacher should always pay proper 
 respect to children and servants — their souls are 
 precious. A preacher should certainly wait upon the 
 Lord while in a family, that the unction of the Holy 
 One may attend his words ; without this, he is liable 
 to blunders and improprieties. The -temptations of 
 Satan are quick, powerful, and constant ; therefore, let 
 jour speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt. 
 
88 THE LIFE OF 
 
 And let it be that which is good, for the use of 
 edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. — 
 Your obedient servant in Christ, HUGH BOURNE." 
 
 Our readers will observe that three times in this- 
 letter Mr. Bourne urges the importance of inwardly 
 waiting on the Lord in the family circle or elsewhere. 
 We well remember how much this was urged and 
 practised by the early preachers. Numerous instances 
 of its success have come under our own observation. 
 Many a conversion at the tea-table and at the dinner- 
 table have we known to have taken place, while this 
 practice of inwardly waiting upon God has been 
 performed. Is not this one of the present missing 
 links of our early prosperity which it would be well to 
 regain ? What exercise could be more in harmony 
 with the Divine Word, and more likely to build up our 
 extensive community ? Is it not written ? — " Wait on 
 the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen 
 thine heart ; wait, I say, on the Lord." Is it not 
 written ? — " They that wait on the Lord shall renew 
 their strength, they shall mount up with wings as 
 eagles ; they shall run and not be weary, they shall 
 walk and not faint." We need not multiply quotations 
 from Scripture upon this subject, but to all we earnestly 
 say — let persistent and increasing attention be both 
 given and urged to this early practice of inward waiting 
 upon the Lord. 
 
 The following are some of the instructions to> 
 travelling preachers from the Tunstall quarter day of 
 September, 1819, which were probably drawn up by 
 Mr. Bourne, and go to show how near the prosperity of 
 the Connexion lay to his heart. "When you come to- 
 
HUGH BOURNE. <S9 
 
 any place, take care to see the class papers as soon as 
 possible, and examine the state of the Society. 
 Endeavour to strengthen the hands of the leaders. 
 Take account of any of the members who are slack 
 in attendance, and if possible, see them and stir them up 
 to diligence. If possible, get to see every local preacher, 
 and try to strengthen the hands of each. Inquire how 
 the prayer meetings are held, and all other meetings, 
 and correct every matter that needs correction. " 
 
 Mr. Bourne was also exceedingly anxious to supply 
 the rising community with suitable literature (the 
 importance of which is now, we fear, not sufficiently 
 estimated), and to accomplish which object he regarded 
 no labour too great. Take one example recorded in 
 his journal about this period ; it mentions that he 
 -carried, of course on foot, three hundred magazines, 
 besides hymn-books and other things, from Derby to 
 Loughborough. This fact speaks for itself and needs 
 no emphasising on our part. 
 
 At this time Mr. Bourne drew up a treatise on 
 ••chairmanship of official meetings, which proved of 
 considerable service. He also prepared about this 
 time his history of the Connexion, which was 
 shortly published. His labours proved so exhaustive 
 that he was compelled to seek a little rest. 
 The only relaxation, however, was that his labours 
 became restricted to the superintendency of 
 Tunstall Circuit, instead of traversing the whole 
 Connexion. So greatly did the Lord bless his labours 
 in this Circuit that at the March Quarterly Meeting of 
 1820 the Tunstall Circuit had an increase of one 
 .thousand and thirteen members. What would our 
 
90 THE LIFE OF 
 
 modern Circuits think, or how would they rejoice over- 
 such an increase in one year ? It may be said that the 
 Tunstall Circuit was at that time very extensive. To 
 this suggestion we reply : Many of our modern 
 Circuits embrace a much greater mass of people than 
 the whole of the Tunstall Circuit at that period. With 
 all our improved chapel accommodation, with over 
 four hundred thousand Sabbath scholars, why should 
 we not have Circuit increases equal, yea, superior to- 
 anything in the past ? Why should not the whole 
 Connexion of this day adopt Dr. Carey's motto,, 
 " Attempt great things for Cod, and expect great things 
 from God." It is often asked, How shall we reach or 
 move the masses ? Would it not be a more practical 
 question, How shall we reach or move ourselves ? 
 How shall we move this nearly half a million of Sabbath 
 scholars ? Is not this a field for successful labour just 
 to our hand in which a much larger harvest of souls 
 might and ought to be annually reaped ? Were these 
 Sabbath scholars thoroughly reached and moved,, 
 would they not carry the life and power of religion 
 into their various homes ? Would not this be reaching 
 the masses ? 
 
 It is scarcely necessary here to give more than a 
 passing mention of the preparatory meeting, something 
 like a Conference, which was held at Nottingham, in the 
 month of August, 1819. This meeting set forth the 
 doctrines taught by the Connexion, arranged numerous 
 important matters, and appointed the first Conference 
 to be held at Hull in the month of May, 1820.. 
 This preparatory meeting was composed of several 
 representatives from the four Circuits into which the 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 91 
 
 Connexion was then divided, namely," ; Tunstall, 
 Nottingham, Loughborough, and Hull. At this meeting 
 too, the origin and foimdership of the Connexion was 
 extensively discussed, but our limited space forbids us 
 entering largely upon this subject. We may, however, 
 observe that too high an eulogium can scarcely be 
 pronounced upon the labours and success of William 
 Clowes. Grateful mention might also be made^of many 
 o^her names, but if the honour of foimdership be 
 attributed under God to any one man, we respectfully 
 venture the opinion that that man is Hugh Bourne. 
 
 Mr. Bourne's journal at this time records great labours 
 in visiting from house to house, in preaching out of 
 doors by lantern light — lanterns tied to sticks, held 
 above the audiences ; and he greatly added to his 
 labours by a very valuable practice of meeting classes 
 and Societies after having conducted the regular 
 preaching services. About this time he often mentions 
 labouring with Messrs. T. Jackson, J. Wedgewood, T, 
 Brownsword, and G. Taylor, of Burland. One thing 
 which added materially to his labours was his extensive 
 correspondence with the preachers. He wrote a very 
 neat, bold, and legible hand. At one place where he 
 laboured he met with an aged and afflicted woman 
 who thought she could 011I3' be converted by going to 
 the place where she had lived some years before. As 
 he engaged with her in conversation, the power came 
 down and she was set at liberty. 
 
 One of Mr. Bourne's papers contains his views of 
 what a Camp-meeting preacher ought to be, some 
 extracts from which may be interesting to our readers. 
 U A Camp-meeting or open air preacher should go 
 
92 THE LIFE OF 
 
 straight forward, and strike home at every blow. He 
 should have his mind upon Luke xxiv, 46, 47. 'Thus it 
 is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to 
 rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance 
 and remission of sins should be preached in His name 
 among all nations.' He looks to God and to the prayers 
 and faith of the people and himself, and watches for 
 effects — watches for the conviction and conversion of 
 sinners, and the quickening of believers. He avoids 
 apologies and frivolous remarks. He preaches a free, 
 full, and present salvation. He does not squander 
 away his own and other preachers' time by attempting 
 to tell what others have preached or will preach. But 
 he attends to his own work, occupies his own time, and 
 makes an end without attempting to occupy the time 
 Avhich belongs to others." 
 
 Some may say, suppose the preacher is in the middle 
 of his sermon or in the middle of an important part of 
 it, what is he to do? "Do," Mr. Bourne would have 
 exclaimed, "do; why, give over to be sure ; else he is 
 robbing the preacher who has to follow him of the 
 time which he ought to have, and if all did so when 
 would the meeting end ? Beside, he should square his 
 matter so as neither to be in either the middle or any- 
 where else but the end of his subject, when his time is 
 up. Why cannot he arrange his thoughts to fit his 
 time ? Or at least why cannot he believe that if he 
 leave off at the proper time, someone else will say 
 something as good as anything he leaves unsaid. And 
 if his matter be superlatively good, it may keep till he 
 has another opportunity of preaching it." We have 
 heard the grand old man repeat these sentiments so 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 93 
 
 frequently, and they are so characteristic of him, that 
 -we could almost imagine we hear them sounding in 
 our ears from his own lips. 
 
 Mr. Bourne's views of Camp-meetings were very 
 much moulded by the accounts given of American 
 Camp-meetings by Mr. Joshua Marsden, " who says of 
 one Camp-meeting he attended in the woods of 
 America, probably not fewer than one hundred persons 
 were awakened and converted to God. I have heard 
 many say that they never heard such praying, 
 exhorting, and preaching anywhere else. And those 
 who engage feel such an afflatus that they are carried 
 along as if by the force of a delightful torrent. Indeed, 
 this has been so much the case with myself, the several 
 times that I preached and exhorted at these meetings, 
 that I was sensible of nothing but a constraining 
 influence, transporting me beyond myself, carrying me 
 along with a freedom and fulness, both of emotion and 
 language quite unusual ; I am satisfied that they are 
 the right hand of Methodism in the United States ; and 
 •one main cause why the Societies there have doubled 
 .and trebled within the last few years." 
 
 From the foregoing extracts may be easily gathered 
 what kind of preachers Mr. Bourne desired for the 
 Primitive Methodist Community. He was himself an 
 ardent student, a laborious preacher, a great family 
 visitor, an extensive correspondent. His studies 
 •embraced Latin, Greek, Hebrew, History, Science, 
 Jurisprudence, &c. And yet his preaching was simple ; 
 his soul was full of zeal to do good ; he made all his 
 knowledge subservient to the one grand end of soul 
 saving. Souls, give me souls or else I die. Such 
 
94 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 was his feeling ; such should be the cry of every 
 Minister — itinerant and local — every Class leader,. 
 Sunday-school teacher, and Tract distributor. Yea,, 
 ought not every member of the church to be filled with 
 a passion for winning souls to Christ ? " Souls, souls, 
 immortal souls, give me souls or I die " should be the- 
 ory of every Christian heart. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 Trials of Early Preachers— Conference at Hull, Tunstall, Lough- 
 horough, Leeds — 1'rtpares large Hymn Book — Conference at 
 Halifax — Power of Faith — Publishes a Sunday School Hymn 
 Book — Fixes Editor's Salary — Commences a Monthly Penny 
 Magazine for Children — Begins his Ecclesiastical History— Also 
 issues a Preacher's Magazine — Conference at iS'ottingham, 
 Manchester, Tunstall, and Scotter — Prepares Consolidated 
 Minutes and Deed Poll. 
 
 FROM Mr. Bourne's journal it appears that at the 
 beginning of 1820 considerable illness prevailed among 
 the preachers. He writes thus: "I came to Tiverton 
 and Poole, two of our local preachers are ill. EL 
 Bourne unwell, but recovering ; Sampson Turner 
 unwell, having got a severe cold ; Ann Brownsword 
 has taken cold and is unwell ; William Newton has a 
 stitch in his side ; but these are not fully laid up, but 
 keep on in their work. John Garner has been given 
 up for death, but is recovering ; John Wedge wood is 
 ill and has not been able to take his appointments; so- 
 all the travelling preachers in Cheshire are unwell." 
 
 Who can wonder at this record, that considers the 
 extent of country traversed by these male and even 
 female labourers, the weather they had often to brave, 
 the kind of entertainment they had frequently to 
 experience, and all the various hardships of their lot. 
 Truly the marvel is, not that they all felt ill, but that 
 
*96 THE LIFE OF 
 
 so many of them were enabled to perform such 
 arduous duties for such a length of time as they 
 really did. 
 
 Mr. Bourne had the honour of formally opening in 
 this year of 1820, the first Conference of the Connexion, 
 lield at Hull. He also conducted the great Conference 
 Camp-meeting, and in connection with Mr. T .Woodnorth 
 led the Conference love-feast at which about forty 
 were converted. 
 
 At this Conference the number of members was 
 reported at seven thousand eight hundred and forty- 
 two ; local preachers, two hundred and seventy-seven ; 
 travelling preachers, forty-eight ; Circuits, eight. At 
 this Conference Mr. Bourne was appointed Connexional 
 Editor, and arrangements were made to carry on the 
 magazine which he had commenced the previous year ; 
 the issue was to be monthly, at threepence per number. 
 Mr. Bourne's duties were now chiefly editorial ; but 
 he could not confine himself to them ; he visited many 
 parts of the Connexion, and did all in his power to 
 strengthen the preachers and promote the work of 
 Ood in the various Circuits. 
 
 The Conference of 1821 was held at Tunstall. The 
 total number of members reported was now sixteen 
 thousand three hundred and ninety-four, being an 
 increase of eight thousand five hundred and fifty-two 
 for the year. From this statement it will be seen that 
 the Connexion more than doubled its membership in the 
 year 1821. What would be the effect if the Connexion 
 were now to double its membership in one year. 
 What thousands of happy homes would be produced ! 
 What joy in the presence of the angels of God ! May 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 97 
 
 we not reasonably ask, is such a thing thought to be- 
 impossible ? Are not all things possible unto God ? 
 Are not all things possible to him that believeth ? 
 Why should not every member bring at least one 
 person to Christ during the whole three hundred and 
 sixty-five days of a year ? This would double the 
 membership of the Connexion at once. We venture 
 to suggest, that the attempt be made by every reader of 
 this biograph}\ Also in this year 1821 the Circuits 
 increased from eight to fifteen, and the travelling and 
 local preachers increased in proportion. 
 
 At this Tunstall Conference a Book Committee was 
 appointed to superintend a printing establishment. 
 James Bourne was appointed General Book Steward, 
 and Hugh Bourne, re-appointed Editor. The religious 
 services of the Conference were very powerful, a 
 great many conveisions took place, Tunstall and its 
 surrounding societies were greatly quickened. 
 
 The strictness of discipline in those days may appear 
 somewhat strange in these moderate times to us who- 
 are accustomed to more liberal measures. At this- 
 Conference Mr. Hugh Bourne himself was not 
 permitted to sit as one of its members, because he had 
 omitted to get elected as a Circuit representative,, 
 thinking that his office as Editor would entitle him to 
 a seat. At the previous Conference held at Hull, 
 Mr. Clowes was also excluded for a time, until the 
 Hull Circuit Committee had been convened and 
 formally elected him as the Circuit's representative. 
 Thus these two great fathers of the Connexion were 
 each in his turn subjected to rigidity of discipline. 
 In those days no persons were permitted to enter the 
 
'98 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Conference as hearers, like they are at present. We 
 remember being at Manchester when the Conference 
 was held there in 1840. The Rev. William Harland 
 came all the way from the Isle of Wight to make some 
 important representations as to his station ; he was 
 only permitted to enter the Conference while he stated 
 his case, and then had to retire. Things, we venture to 
 believe, are now changed much for the better. 
 
 One fact recorded in one of Mr. Bourne's papers for 
 this year will, no doubt, be somewhat interesting to 
 our readers. It is a receipt from W. Sanders to Hugh 
 Bourne of twenty-five shillings, for the copyright of 
 twenty-five hymns for the Hymn Book ; one shilling 
 per hymn. No one we venture to think will regard 
 him as overpaid. But it is worthy of remark that 
 Hugh Bourne did not realise large profits, either from 
 his own or any other person's productions, for there is 
 abundant proof that in all his transactions he sought 
 not his own but the Connexion's good ; he evidently 
 wanted but little for himself, and all he could spare he 
 cheerfully relinquished for the advancement of the 
 cause. It is very probable that no other great leader 
 of any religious movement ever practised greater self- 
 denial and self-sacrifice than Hugh Bourne. 
 
 The Conference of 1822 was held at Loughborough, 
 in Leicestershire, and the increase of members was 
 found to be eight thousand eight hundred and twenty- 
 four. Mr. Bourne's journal at this time records an 
 account of some remarkable Camp-meetings at 
 Bradw^ell and Oaken Gates, and also a very powerful 
 love-feast at Congleton, at which many souls were 
 converted. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 99 
 
 Mr. Coulson, about this time, was sent by the Leeds 
 •Circuit as a Missionary to London, and Mr. Bourne in 
 sympathy with him sent him two one pound notes, one 
 for himself and one for the cause in London. A brief 
 extract of Mr. Coulson's letter to Mr. Bourne, which was 
 published in the Magazine, will be interesting, at least 
 to London Primitive Methodists. It reads as follows : 
 " At our last quarter day in Leeds Circuit it was moved 
 and carried, that missionaries should be sent out. In 
 •consequence of this two of our preachers arrived in 
 London in December, 1822. I got to London in 
 January, 1823, on account of one of them returning. 
 If any place in England wants missionaries, it is 
 London. Some of the inhabitants are the most 
 ignorant, wicked, careless, and wretched people I ever 
 saw. May the Lord help them and save them from 
 sin and hell ! We have twenty members in society ; 
 we preach in four places on Sabbath days, and eight 
 on week days. It is difficult to get houses here to 
 preach in ; a garret lets for five shillings a week, bare 
 avails. The Lord is opening our way." This was 
 •certainly the day of small things and of great 
 •difficulties. 
 
 We have referred to Mr. Bourne's practical sympathy 
 with Mr. Coulson in his London Mission work. This, 
 no doubt, is a true representation of Mr. Bourne's 
 general disposition and conduct. Mr. Herod records a 
 very touching instance of Mr. Bourne's generosity. He 
 savs : " We remember well in the vear 1824, that one 
 of our preachers with a wife and three children, was 
 in a station that could not raise his salary, and hence 
 sometimes they had only one meal a day. One day 
 
100 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Mr. Bourne called on him very unexpectedly, when 
 his wife in the best way she could prepared the visitor 
 a dinner. She did her very best to hide the nakedness- 
 of the land, by setting out everything to the best 
 advantage. The good man after eating heartily, talked 
 about the revivals in different parts of the Connexion,, 
 prayed with the family, and took his departure for 
 Manchester. The preacher walked a short distance 
 with him, and not a word was said about privations - r 
 but when they were going to part, Mr. Bourne put his 
 hand in his pocket, and brought out a quantity of 
 silver and put it into the hand of the preacher. Tho 
 latter hesitated, but Mr. Bourne said, "You must take it 
 as from the Lord." Some minutes after, Mr. Bourne 
 returned and said, " I have given you all the money I 
 had upon me, you must give me back eightpence, I 
 have six and twenty miles to walk to-morrow before I 
 can get home." The preacher was going to give him 
 back the whole sum, but he said, " Do as I tell you, give 
 me eightpence." This incident speaks for itself, and 
 Mr. Herod states that he could have given a number 
 more had his space permitted it. 
 
 The Conference of 1823 w r as held in Leeds, at which 
 Mr. Bourne was appointed to prepare a large Hymn 
 Book for the use of the Connexion. The existing 
 Hymn Book was to be continued in its then present 
 form, and the other to be added to it and bound 
 together, the one was called the small and the other 
 the large book. This Hymn Book served the 
 Connexion for thirty years until the year 1853. 
 
 At this Conference the state of the Connexion was 
 found to be as follows : 45 Circuits, 202 travelling 
 preachers, 29,472 members. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 101 
 
 Up to this time Mr. Bourne's practice had been to 
 support himself without asking from the Connexion 
 any pecuniary assistance ; and not only so but to give 
 whatever he could spare for the support of other 
 labourers in the vineyard of the Lord. He also gave 
 the proceeds of his publications to the Circuits and 
 Connexional institutions. Has he not in this respect 
 left a noble and praiseworthy example to his numerous 
 followers for their imitation and encouragement ? 
 
 After the book-room was established the profits 
 for the year 1822 were £157 5s. At the Halifax 
 Conference of 1824, Mr. Bourne's circumstances were 
 such as to compel him to ask for a single preacher's 
 allowance of four pounds a quarter and ten shillings 
 per week for board and lodgings. Thus the small sum of 
 ten guineas per quarter was fixed as the Editor's salary, 
 and continued as long as Mr. Bourne retained the 
 office, which would be about eighteen years after the 
 said Conference. 
 
 In the magazine for this year Mr. Bourne published 
 a stirring article on a full, free, and present salvation ; 
 he also gave numerous instances of the power of 
 faith in producing immediate results, which had come 
 under his own observation. One was at Ransor. A 
 young woman came into the house where he was 
 sitting, he was pursuing his usual custom of inwardly 
 waiting upon the Lord. In a very short time after, he 
 engaged in spiritual conversation with her, and she 
 entered into glorious liberty. Another instance took place 
 at Boylston in the case of a respectable farmer named Mr. 
 Morecroft. We give this in Mr. Bourne's own words : 
 " His conversion took place in his own house one night 
 
 G 
 
102 THE LIFE OF 
 
 when I and W. Clowes and others were also present. 
 We were ivaiting on the Lord. The unction from the 
 Holy One began to flow, and I attempted to open the 
 mystery of faith, and as the unction increased I spoke 
 more at large. While so doing, Mr. Morecroft fell off 
 his chair, cried for mercy, and in one minute was set at 
 liberty." Which of our modern magazines record such 
 instances ? What Editor have we had who would not 
 be too glad to find a place to record such desirable 
 occurrences, were they forwarded to him ? And why 
 should not such conversions during the exercise of 
 conversation be more numerous in our present large 
 Connexion than even at its commencement ? 
 
 In the autumn of 1824 Mr. Bourne commenced a 
 monthly penny magazine for children, which shortly 
 reached a circulation of six or seven thousand. He 
 had already published a Sunday School Hymn Book, 
 and in 1825 he commenced what is termed his most 
 literary work, entitled : " An Ecclesiastical History, 
 or Chain of Piety," being intended to give a complete 
 view of true religion from the creation of the world 
 down to his own day. This work he continued to 
 publish monthly during the whole remaining term of 
 his editorship), embracing a period of eighteen years. 
 Shortly after commencing his " Ecclesiastical History," 
 Mr. Bourne began to publish another serial, entitled : 
 "The Preacher's Magazine." He engaged with the 
 Conference that if there were any loss the editor should 
 bear it, and if any gain the Connexion should have it. 
 Only one volume of this excellent work was issued, 
 probably for want of sufficient encouragement ; but 
 its issue certainly proves the disinterestedness and 
 enterprising character of Mr. Bourne. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 103 
 
 Mr. Herod, who was well acquainted with Mr. 
 Bourne, gives the following testimony to his editorial 
 ability. He says, in his Biographical Sketches: u In 
 his office as editor he rendered great service to the 
 Connexion and the cause of God. Through his deep 
 piety, extensive reading, the deep interest he took in 
 the Connexion's welfare, and the general knowledge 
 he possessed of its wants and state, he was, in our 
 •opinion, eminently adapted for his office. Nearly every 
 number he sent forth contained a large portion of 
 original matter from his own pen, and in that he generally 
 aimed at the revival of religion. He was the 
 Connexional correspondent for nearly thirty years ; 
 he annually traversed a great portion of the Connexion, 
 and generally on foot, he visited many families and 
 preached nearly every evening. His office, therefore, 
 was no sinecure. His code of laws was drawn up with 
 •great perspicuity, and in all matters he displayed great 
 system and concentration. Verbosity was not his 
 fault. His productions were not like a tree whose fruit 
 is buried amidst a luxuriant foliage." 
 
 The Conference of 1826 was held at Nottingham. 
 This was a very critical and trying period for the 
 Connexion ; the details of which we are compelled to 
 •omit for want of space. Mr. Petty states in his 
 history : " The state of the Connexion at this time 
 brought upon Hugh Bourne a flood of sorrow by which 
 he was well nigh overwhelmed. At this critical period 
 he rendered eminent service to the Connexion. 
 His views, on the whole, were doubtless too gloomy, 
 and the measures he advocated, perhaps, too severe, 
 but his sagacity, his energy and his determination were 
 
104 THE LIFE OF 
 
 exercised for the Connexion's benefit, and in a 
 great measure contributed to its preservation and 
 revival, and conferred, under God, lasting blessings 
 upon it." 
 
 The Conference of 1827 was held at Manchester, at 
 which signs of returning vigour were recorded with 
 becoming thanksgiving. " Morning preachings," says 
 Mr. Bourne, "at five o'clock were held during the sittings 
 of the Conference. On the Sunday a Camp-meeting 
 was held which was very powerful. Two preaching 
 stands were occupied the most of the time, besides a 
 permanent praying company in the afternoon, several 
 were brought into liberty on the ground. At the love 
 feast on Monday evening the work broke out with 
 power and numbers were saved." 
 
 At this Conference a remarkable scene occurred, a 
 brief notice of which will, no doubt, be interesting to- 
 our temperance friends. Legislation had been sent 
 up from one of the districts to the effect that the 
 trustees of chapels should be desired or required 
 to provide wine for the use of the preachers, either before- 
 preaching, to give them a little spirit for their work ;. 
 or after preaching, to revive their exhausted energies ; 
 or perhaps both. It should be remembered that this 
 was before the days of total abstinence societies. 
 Mr. Bourne made powerful speech over night, 
 he came recruited by a few hours of sleep, and perhaps 
 some time spent in earnest prayer, to the renewal of 
 the attack at six o'clock the following morning. No- 
 sooner was the Conference opened forjbusiness than 
 he w^as on his feet, amid breathless attention he gave- 
 numerous calculations and arguments against this wine 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 105 
 
 gfislation ; he was wrought up to such a pitch of 
 earnestness, that he closed a telling peroration, by 
 bringing down his clenched fist upon the table, the 
 pens, ink. and paper were sent flying into the air; 
 and as he sat down overwhelmed with emotion, no one 
 ventured to reply, and the question was allowed at 
 once to drop. 
 
 The Conference at Tunstall in 1828 ordered Mr. 
 Bourne to prepare the first Consolidation of the 
 Minutes, which he executed with great simplicity and 
 
 finality of thought and style. 
 
 On one of his numerous journeys after this 
 Conference he went into Radnorshire. He writes : 
 " Saturday very lame, and scarcely knew what to do, 
 expecting to be obliged to give up, and try by some 
 means to get home. However, these things caused me 
 to pray earnestly, and I set off to Pain's Castle, sixteen 
 miles. After arriving at this place I found my feet 
 no worse than when I started, but rather better. This 
 is what never happened to me before, and I was 
 thankful to God for all His mercies. " On another 
 occasion he speaks of walking thirty-three miles one 
 day and preaching at night, but was much exhausted. 
 
 The Conference of 1829 was held at Scotter in 
 Lincolnshire. Mr. Bourne says, this was allowed to 
 the best Conference ever held in the Connexion. 
 The union, harmony, and zeal were of a high order. 
 The unction that attended the doing of business and 
 the meetings for worship was great ; the people were 
 baptized from heaven day after day, and many precious 
 
 lis were set at liberty. At the Conference Camp- 
 meeting a great unction attended the preached word, 
 
106 THE LIFE OF 
 
 faith was mightily in exercise, the work broke o ru- 
 in the praying services, and much good was done.. 
 The Missionary meeting held on account of thf 
 proposed American mission, was thought to be one of 
 the best ever held, and the collection in aid of the 
 mission was liberal. 
 
 The Deed Poll, which had been for sometime int 
 course of preparation by Mr. Bourne and a solicitor,, 
 was presented to the Scotter Conference, and was 
 ordered to be completed, with as little delay as possible.. 
 In this Deed Poll, his own name was placed first on 
 the list. If there was work to be done, he was the 
 first to do it ; if danger to be braved, he was the first 
 to brave it ; if sacrifice to be made, he was the first to- 
 make it ; and hence it seemed fitting that he should 
 have the most honourable place in this legal instrument.. 
 
 May we ask our readers to ponder over the records 
 of this chapter ; to read over and over again the accounts- 
 given of the Conferences at Manchester and Scotter.. 
 Such expressions as these are worthy of being 
 embalmed in the memory, and engraven on the heart :. 
 baptized from day to day ; faith in mighty exercise : 
 an unction from heaven on business meetings ; a 
 mighty unction attending the preached word. Well 
 may this chapter sparkle with records of conversions. 
 Let us catch the mighty inspiration, and the converting 
 work may be fully expected to break out in every 
 direction, 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Visits the North and signs the Total Abstinence Pledge — How he 
 preaches to children — Attends Leicester and Hull Conferences — 
 Visits Stockport and the neighbourhood — Is superannuated at 70 
 years of age — Continues to labour on for ten years longer. 
 
 After the Conference of 1829 Mr. Bourne visited 
 many places in the North, among others he visited 
 Bavington Hall, the residence of Squire Shafto ; and to 
 Mrs. Shafto is given the honour of prevailing with him 
 formally to sign the temperance pledge. When Mrs. 
 Shafto, however, asked him if he had joined the Total 
 Abstinence Society, he very quaintly replied, " No, 
 they have joined me, for I was a total abstainer before 
 they had such a Society at all." 
 
 From some brief extracts of a discourse published 
 in the large Magazine for 1829, from Luke xvi. 19-21, 
 our readers may gather the character of his style 
 in preaching to children. After describing the 
 difference between the condition of the righteous and 
 the wicked in the future state, he says, " Ye children, 
 boys and girls, can discern the difference between 
 these. On the one hand there are people in white 
 robes, robes of majesty, robes of heaven, walking on a 
 pavement of pure gold, with crowns of glory on their 
 heads. These serve the Lord, and if you serve the 
 Lord you will go to the same place, and be always 
 in health and comfort. You must say your prayers 
 
108 THE LIFE OF 
 
 to the Lord, for Jesus Christ died for you, and would 
 have you to go to heaven, but observe on the other 
 side of the gulf a man that did not serve the Lord ; 
 he wants a drop of water to cool his tongue, for he is 
 tormented in the flame ; it is terrible ; he had better 
 have served the Lord. It will be best for all you 
 children to serve the Lord." 
 
 A few years later he wrote to the following effect : — 
 " I feel as much satisfaction in preaching to children, 
 as to grown up people. I wait on the Lord as much 
 in preaching to children as if they were grown up 
 people, and look as fully for the grace of God to give 
 the words effect. If you preach to them with the 
 Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, you will be sure 
 to have effect." 
 
 The Conference of 1830 was held at Hull, and, among 
 other things, ordered the enlargement of the magazines, 
 from 12mo. to 8vo. in size, and from fourpence to 
 sixpence per number in price. This would materially 
 increase the Editor's work, but with his habit of early 
 rising, he was able to keep abreast with his work. 
 
 At the Leicester Conference of 1831 the Editor was 
 ordered to devote a portion of the large magazine 
 to the advocacy of temperance, which was a very 
 agreeable task, both as to his views and feelings. 
 
 After this Conference, Mr. Bourne visited Whitehaven 
 by steamer from Liverpool. While on board a rude 
 young woman asked him to dance with her to the 
 music, he rose up, rebuked her kindly, then preached 
 a sermon to the people, and concluded with prayer. 
 The musicians tried to play him down, but could 
 not succeed. 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 109 
 
 Mr. Bourne's views on family visiting are no doubt 
 •well known. On this tour he records that he and Mr. 
 W. Sanderson, visited forty families one forenoon. 
 
 From this time, and for several succeeding years, Mr. 
 Bourne was in the habit of attending as many district 
 meetings as circumstances would permit. He generally 
 rspent some time in explaining to the delegates the 
 nature and power of faith, the trials and conflicts 
 connected with soul saving work, and the general 
 means by which a revival of religion might be 
 promoted. One of the best district meetings, Mr. 
 Bourne states, which he had the pleasure of attending 
 was held at Lynn in Norfolk, in 1832. The 
 •district that year had an increase of one thousand 
 :and twenty members. The first occasion on 
 which the writer had the pleasure of meeting 
 Mr. Bourne was at the district meeting at 
 Stockport in May, 1835. In addition to Mr. Bourne, 
 there were present Messrs. Clowes, Verity, S. Tillotson, 
 S. Smith, Jas. Garner, J. Lawley, and others. The 
 procession to the Camp ground left Duke-street 
 •Chapel at eight o'clock on the Sunday morning ; a 
 permanent praying company was kept up throughout 
 the day, till about five in the afternoon, at which a 
 number were saved. At one time a number of scoffers 
 surrounded this company and gave considerable 
 annoyance. Mr. Verity, who was conducting the 
 company, suspended prayer for a few moments, then 
 made an opening in the ring, and invited the scoffers 
 to enter ; when they declined to do so, he asked the 
 people to follow him and marched round and inclosed 
 >them ; some fled while others knelt down to pray. So 
 
110 THE LIFE OF 
 
 far as we remember, very few short of one hundred 
 souls were converted during the day. 
 
 About the year 1834 Mr. Bourne inserted in the* 
 magazines some stirring articles on a present salvation. 
 Mr. Samuel Smith, of Preston, and a number of 
 others, wrote very encouraging letters to Mr. Bourne,, 
 informing him of the great good these articles had 
 produced in their various circuits. 
 
 From 1834 to 1842 many events occurred in Mr- 
 Bourne's life which are worthy of distinct record did our 
 space permit. It may be sufficient to say that he attended 
 to his editorial work, official duties, and visitation of 
 various parts of the Connexion, with as much zeal,, 
 promptitude, preseverance, and devotion, with the 
 same profound concern for the welfare of the 
 Connexion, the same consecration of his powers to 
 the glory of God, that had for many long years 
 commanded the confidence, the love, the admiration,, 
 and the veneration of his fellow labourers. 
 
 Mr. Bourne, although sixty-nine years of age, gave 
 no sign of wishing for relief from his duties and 
 responsibilities ; but many perceived that years of 
 long continued labour were beginning to tell upon 
 him, consequently at the Conference of 1842, held at 
 Newcastle-on-Tyne, a very heavy trial was in store for 
 him. We have always observed it to be a time of 
 deep solemnity when the subject of superannuation 
 has been under discussion at either District Meetings 
 or Conference. We have seen strong men bow 
 themselves, and even weep like children when the 
 moment had come for their retirement from the duties 
 and labours of the regular Ministry — a work so dear 
 
HUGH BOURNE. Ill 
 
 to their heart. No one, we imagine, can form a jusl 
 conception of the depth of emotions on such occasions, 
 but those who have been the subjects of them. Our 
 readers will therefore, naturally enough, sympathise 
 with Mr. Bourne in his circumstances-at the Conference 
 referred to, when after so many years of editorial, 
 literary, and other labours, superannuation was grace- 
 fully suggested to him. This trial, like many others, 
 he bore with great resignation. On this occasion an 
 annuity of £25 a year was granted to him from the 
 book-room and two other funds. We confess to a 
 feeling of reluctance to name the smallness of the 
 amount, for in these times the sum, by many, will be 
 deemed unworthy of the Connexion and far below the 
 reasonable claims of such a man. For Mr. Bourne 
 was even no ordinary superannuated preacher ; his 
 position and claims were special and extraordinary. 
 He had dug the foundation of the building, had done 
 much heavy work in rearing the superstructure ; and 
 With a restless activity, an indomitable heroism, a 
 quenchless zeal, an amazing self abnegation, he had 
 for more than thirty years concentrated all his powers- 
 and aims for the establishment and consolidation of 
 the Connexion. For many years he had prosecuted 
 his arduous labours, not only without cost to the 
 Connexion, but at great expense to himself ; not only 
 had he supported himself, but had liberally contributed 
 to the support of other workers, out of his own hard 
 earned private resources. His editorial duties had 
 been fulfilled with great assiduity from 1818 to 1842* 
 This amount, therefore, was not remarkable for its 
 extravagance. It was somewhat perhaps in harmony 
 
112 THE LIFE OF 
 
 with the financial economy of those days, and we 
 have never heard that Mr. Bourne felt or expressed 
 dissatisfaction therewith. This sum, with the addition 
 of an equal amount to which he was legally entitled 
 from the preachers' Friendly Society, would give him 
 fifty pounds per annum, and considering his rigid 
 personal economy, would leave him a considerable 
 surplus for beneficient purposes. 
 
 At the Conference which placed Mr. Bourne on the 
 retiring list, it was fully understood that he should be at 
 liberty to employ his time in visiting different parts of 
 the Connexion, and taking services therein according 
 to his own discretion. 
 
 During the ten years of his superannuation, he 
 -continued walking, preaching, visiting, writing, 
 corresponding, and labouring in all possible ways to 
 advance the interest of his beloved Zion. One means 
 he used was the earnest and persistent advocacy of 
 temperance. During this period he visited America, 
 the details of which visit, for want of space we are 
 prevented from giving. The last Conference he 
 attended was at Yarmouth, in 1851. At the Sheffield 
 Conference of 1852 he was not able to be present, 
 l>eing then laid aside by his final affliction. Many 
 incidents during the ten closing years of his life, 
 both as to labours in England as well as in America, 
 would be very interesting no doubt to our readers ; 
 but our ]imited space has compelled their omission 
 and obliged us to use brevity in the record of this 
 period of his wondrous career. 
 
4 
 
 > $iQ2>i*Mr 
 
 u 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 His Last Illness — Death and Funeral. 
 
 FOR several years before his death Mr. Bourne seems 
 to have had a premonition or impression that he should 
 die in the year 1852, the year in which he actually 
 passed away. Some time before, he had a serious 
 illness and believed he should die, but in answer to the 
 fervent prayers of himself and others, his life was 
 spared, and an impression was made upon his mind 
 that, like Hezekiah, fifteen years would be added to- 
 his days, which accordingly was done. 
 
 The last sermon Mr. Bourne preached was February 
 22nd, 1852, at Norton Green, one of his early places, 
 from John xvi., 21, the text which so greatly helped 
 hi:n at his conversion. The last entry made in his 
 journal, which he had regularly kept for about half a 
 century, was at the end of the following March. 
 
 " In his last affliction," says Mr. Bagley, "I visited 
 him, and always found him in a peaceful, believing 
 state of mind ; in my conversation with him, he gave 
 me to understand that the gospel he had preached to- 
 others was now his own comfort. His painful affliction 
 was borne with Christian fortitude and resignation. 
 His great anxiety for the Connexion's prosperity 
 continued to the last." 
 
114 THE LIFE OF 
 
 In his admirable memoir in the Primitive Methodist 
 Magazine for 1853, Mr Bateman says of Mr. Bourne's 
 6tate of mind in his last affliction : " Accustomed for 
 many years to the solemn contemplation of death, he 
 now witnessed its approach with serenity and peace. 
 In the midst of his sufferings he found consolations 
 that were neither few nor small." During his 
 affliction he grew more humble, meek, gentle, and 
 resigned ; his affections became exquisitely tender ; 
 their native character seemed vastly changed. His 
 views, his hopes, his joys, were heavenly. Although 
 Mr. Bourne's death had been long looked for, it came 
 at last somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly. His 
 bodily pain having a little abated, he conversed with 
 his friends even more cheerfully. On Monday, the 
 11th of October, 1852, which was the last day of his 
 -earthly sojourn, he arose as usual, and appeared as 
 well, or even better than he had been for some time 
 before, and was cheerful and happy. No indication of 
 his approaching dissolution appeared. About four 
 o'clock in the afternoon he reclined back on the sofa 
 ;and fell asleep. In this state he continued for 
 some time ; when aroused a little he appeared to be 
 conversing with some one, but was inaudible, then 
 beckoning with his hand, as though anxious for a 
 nearer approach, with a sweet smile on his 
 countenance, he said, "Come! come!" several times, 
 and looking intently upward, he lifted his hand, as in 
 token of victory, or to point his friends to some lovely 
 .and inviting object near, at the same time saying, with 
 much sweetness and emphasis, " Old companions ! 
 Old companions ! My mother ! " and then without a 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 115 
 
 groan or sigh, or apparently the slightest sensation of 
 pain, surprise, or dismay, he surrendered his happy 
 .spirit, about six o'clock that autumn evening into the 
 liands of God who gave it. 
 
 " The weary wheels of life stood still," 
 And Hugh Bourne was no more. And we 
 11 Sigh for the touch of a vanished hand, 
 And the sound of a voice that is still." 
 
 Merciful Heaven ! How gentle the final stroke ! 
 How like the shaking of the first ripe fruit ! How 
 broad and bright the setting sun ! How calm and 
 lovely the closing scene ! 
 
 " Night dews fall not more gently to the ground, 
 Nor weary worn out winds expire so soft." 
 
 Mighty conqueror of death and hell, grant our last 
 <end may be like his. 
 
 " Hail the heavenly bowers of peace, 
 
 Where all the storms of passion cease ; 
 
 Life's dismaying struggle o'er, 
 
 The weary spirit weeps no more, 
 
 But wears the eternal smile of joy, 
 
 Tasting bliss without alloy. 
 
 Welcome, welcome happy bowers, 
 
 Where no passing tempest lowers ; 
 
 But the azure heavens display 
 
 The everlasting smile of day. 
 
 to think of meeting there 
 
 The friend whose grave received our tears, 
 
 And all the joys which death did sever 
 
 Given back to us again for ever." 
 
 —Kirke White. 
 
 For the eloquent account of Mr. Bourne's funeral 
 
 given by Mr. Bateman, we refer our readers to the 
 
 magazines and the larger volume of Mr. Bourne's life 
 
 by Dr. W. Antliff. Suffice it to say that the funeral 
 
116 THE LIFE OF 
 
 took place on the Sabbath following his death, at 
 Englesea Brook (Cheshire). When the procession 
 reached Tunstall market place it was estimated to be- 
 nearly sixteen thousands ; and it is worthy of notice that 
 a number of Sabbath schools which lay on the route to 
 the grave followed him to his last resting place. 
 
 " Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore thee, 
 Though sorrow and darkness encompass the tomb ; 
 
 The Saviour has passed through its portals before thee, 
 
 And the lamp of His love was thy guide through the gloom. 
 
 Thou art gone to the grave, we no longer behold thee, 
 Nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy side ; 
 
 But the wide arms of mercy are spread to enfold thee, 
 
 And sinners may live for the sinless has died." 
 
 — Heber.. 
 
 Hugh Bourne was "absent from the body, at home with 
 the Lord." He joined his mother — his old companions 
 to whom he seemed to call in his closing earthly 
 moments. Clowes was there — Crawford was there — - 
 Cotton was there — Steele was there — Bayley was there* 
 — Wooclnorth was there — these and many others. Old 
 companions in arms, in tribulation, in travel, in triumph. 
 These would greet him welcome on the heavenly 
 shores, and would sing joyfully 
 
 " Prisoner long detained below, 
 
 Prisoner now with freedom blest ; 
 Welcome from a world of woe, 
 Welcome to a land of rest." 
 
 With the Venerable Wesley we may say God buries 
 his workmen, but carries on his work. Although in 
 1852 we lost our venerable founder, the Connexion 
 since that date has made wonderful progress, and we 
 humbly trust that for it brighter days and nobler 
 achievements are still in store. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Concluding chapter — His personal appearance, and some of his 
 peculiar characteristics. 
 
 Commencing with his personal appearance, we quote 
 Mr. Bateman's striking description of him. He says, 
 " We now try to picture the man at our first interview, 
 which was on Sunday, December 12th, 1819. The 
 service is at two o'clock ; many are looking out, and the 
 stranger's near arrival is announced. In the distance 
 is seen approaching a man on foot, awkward in his 
 gait, some five feet nine or ten inches high, round in 
 the shoulders, having small eyes, looking from some- 
 what lowering eyebrows, and a wrinkled forehead, a 
 prominent nose, and altogether unprepossessing in his 
 appearance. Then, too, he presented no great set-off 
 in his apparel. His hat had probably seen better days ; 
 he had a blue coat on, upon which the winds of a 
 former winter had likely blown ; velveteen small 
 clothes reaching but just below the knees ; blue 
 stockings, and a pair of low, rough, strong shoes. It 
 was clear enough he was not set on finery of apparel 
 
 " Where in the drapery the man is lost, 
 
 Externals flattering, and the soul forgot." 
 
 Mr. Walford-says, " His whole countenance, on which 
 
 time had ploughed^ many a furrow, seemed to denote 
 
 a mind bent on studious thoughts ; abstruse and 
 
 H 
 
118 THE LIFE OF 
 
 anxious solicitude characterised each feature of the 
 venerable man's face. He was well built, athletically 
 framed, fleshy, but not corpulent." 
 
 Dr. W. Antliff informs us in his large and 
 comprehensive life of Mr. Bourne, that in consequence 
 of pressure being brought upon him from without, he 
 consented for the last few years of his life to wear a 
 black cloth suit ; but he still retained his aversion 
 to pride in dress, even to the last. 
 
 No life of Mr. Bourne would be complete without a 
 brief notice of some of his peculiarities. 
 
 His habit — especially in later years — of soliloquizing, 
 was rather singular, both alone in his study, and when 
 walking in his garden. When the various parts of the 
 Connexion were prosperous, he would talk to himself, 
 gesticulate with his hands and arms, and speak 
 favourably of the chief labourers in the work. When 
 things were adverse, he would equally soliloquize to 
 himself, but of course in the opposite direction, 
 uttering loud lamentations over those whom he 
 regarded as in fault. 
 
 One of his peculiarities was to speak of himself 
 in the third person. When in his last illness he was 
 asked by Mr. Samuel Sanders if he were willing 
 to die, he replied, " I cannot say that I have a will of 
 my own, it seems swallowed up in God's will. If 
 Hugh Bourne were asked, Will you die or will you 
 live ? he would say, Let me die ; but as it is he is 
 led to say with Job, 'All the days of my appointed 
 time will I wait till my change come.' " 
 
 Another peculiarity which he had was to cut out his 
 own name in large letters from some anniversary 
 bill, and paste it inside the crown of his hat. 
 
huoh bourm:. 119 
 
 Another rather strange practice he had was to sit 
 silently in company for a considerable length of time, 
 covering his face with his hand or his fingers. 
 
 His opinion that the Lord's prayer should b^ used 
 with strict exactness, was very strong ; he scarcely ever 
 allowed anyone to escape who repeated the Lord's 
 Prayer as he thought inaccurately, and would sometimes 
 treat them very satirically. Many a minister's wife 
 has come in for a large share of his criticism, when 
 teaching her children their prayers. 
 
 It will be well known to many of our readers that 
 Mr. Bourne was never married, and this will no doubt 
 account to them for a number of his peculiarities. 
 But it will probably endear him to our young friends 
 to be informed that he was once in love, and from his 
 shorthand notes it is gathered very deeply in love too ; 
 but he seems to have had a singular way of making it 
 known, for he never made but one proposal to the 
 young lady, and that was in the company of several 
 other persons, but because she did not respond favour- 
 ably at once, he said there was an end of it. But it 
 appears to have given him some little trouble and 
 uneasiness afterwards before he could get over the 
 strange feeling. We would not, however, judge him too 
 harshly, for probably he thought if it were the Lord's 
 will the lady would have been as ready as himself, and 
 that had that been the case, he would have accepted it 
 as a token of Divine direction and approval. But as it 
 happened to the contrary, he travelled the four score 
 years in unmarried loneliness. 
 
 Mr. Bourne had a strong propensity for trying to 
 humble a person who seemed to think highly of 
 
120 THE LIFE OF 
 
 himself. " It is told of a young superintendent who 
 had considerable confidence in his own powers of 
 argument, that on one occasion Mr. Bourne was at his 
 house, and soon had him in the theological ring, 
 mauling him with both hands, and enjoying with 
 peculiar relish the bruises which he inflicted. It was 
 no doubt one of Mr. Bourne's favourite topics which 
 the superintendent tried again and again to solve, but in 
 vain, Mr. Bourne observing very sarcastically, " Really, 
 Brother, you get very far from the mark ; you are not 
 as clever and as well-informed as I thought you were," 
 his entire face glowing with pleasure, as it always was 
 when he was enjoying a similar scene ; thinking, 
 however, that he had sufficiently tried him, his 
 countenance assumed a benign expression, and in a 
 mild tone he desired him to get the Testament, and 
 read John vii, 37-39, which, he said, would fully 
 and finally solve the question which he had put. 
 This text was one of his greatest favourites, and a 
 careful study of it will amply repay any of our readers." 
 Another of Mr. Bourne's peculiarities was that he 
 could not tolerate for a moment the practice of calling > 
 preaching, talking. As we sat together at breakfast one 
 Sunday morning, he asked a young minister where he 
 was going to preach that day ; he replied, " I am going to 
 talk at Stubley." " Talk, talk, talk," said Mr. Bourne,. 
 " What do you mean ? Talk, talk, talk. What do you 
 mean ? " " Mr. Bourne," said the young minister,, 
 " don't say any more, you gave me such a lecture on 
 that subject at Chester." The old gentleman summoned 
 up all his energy, and in his customary way of speaking 
 on such occasions, he said with emphasis, " A deal o- r 
 good it's done you : a deal o' good it's done you." 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 121 
 
 Mr. Bourne in his later years frequently interested 
 a company by giving the outline of what he called his 
 own English grammar. He appeared remarkably fond 
 of reciting it, and it was a rich treat to those who had 
 the privilege of hearing it. His invectives against 
 English grammar makers in general — the various 
 expressions of his face as he went on — now dark and 
 scowling, as he came to a " Latin shackled " term, and 
 then bright and complacent as he uttered one of his 
 own coining as its substitute — the broad emphatic 
 provincial dialect in which he spoke, the swinging up 
 and down of his right arm, like the big hammer of 
 the smith, as he spoke, together with the interesting 
 -character of the grammar itself, made the scene, 
 •especially to one of a lively temperament, fascinating 
 in the extreme. This was ground on which the old 
 gentleman seemed as happy ,as his company were 
 amused. Probably our readers would enjoy a brief 
 report of one of these lectures. 
 
 The place, say, a dining or drawing-room ; the time, 
 .after dinner ; the company, the family and a few 
 friends. Mr. Bourne would proceed, " When I first 
 began to learn grammar, I got sick at heart, I thought 
 I should never be able to make aught out. ^Yhat 
 puzzled me was the barbarous words the Latin 
 shackled grammarians used to express the different 
 parts of speech. I could not tell what a noun, or an 
 adjective, or a verb could be, because none of these 
 terms defined the thing it professed to define ; 
 so I was thrown down on the very threshold of the 
 subject, and what to do I could not tell. But, by 
 and by, I got loosened ; I began to study language for 
 
122 THE LIFE OF 
 
 myself, and while making hay one clay it became 
 clear. I saw that words were simply signs of things, 
 that there must be as many classes of words as there 
 were classes of things to be expressed, and that every 
 word we used must belong to one of these classes ; so 
 I soon was able to make everything clear to myself. 
 Now, if I had some young persons to instruct in 
 grammar I would take them into a field and tell them 
 to look about them ; and that, as whatever thing they 
 saw, or heard, or thought about, was an object, it 
 bolonged to the first great class of words, which Latin 
 shackled grammarians call nouns, but I would have 
 them called objectives. And then I would tell them 
 as each object had something connected with it, which 
 made it different from another object, such difference 
 would want a word to express it, and all such words 
 were called by our Latin shackled grammarians r 
 adjectives ; but which I would have them call 
 descriptives. Again, every object is doing something, 
 some action belongs to it : that boy speaks — that tree 
 grows — that bird sings — and so on, so that we require 
 another class of words to express such action ; 
 and this class of words, which our Latin shackled 
 grammarians call verbs, I would tell them to 
 call actionives. And just as one object differs 
 from another, so one action differs from another ; 
 actions as well as things have qualities peculiar 
 to themselves, as the tree grows slowly — the 
 boy speaks well — the bird sings charmingly ; and 
 instead of calling these adverbs, as do our Latin 
 shackled friends, I would have them called 
 descriplionives* And so on with all the rest ; 
 
HUGH BOURNE. * 123 
 
 prepositions I would call directives, and interjections 
 exclamations. Now all this is plain and understandable, 
 because there is common sense in it ; you can under- 
 stand, Mistress, can't you ? " 
 
 A field would be a singular school-room in which for 
 a Master to instruct his pupils in Grammar ; in 
 summer it might have the advantages of fresh air and 
 good ventilation, but it would be very inconvenient 
 during the stormy months of winter. However, the 
 preceding facts will give our readers some idea of his 
 personal appearance and quaintness of character. 
 
 It may be said by some that Mr. Bourne 
 had his infirmities and failings, and to omit 
 a record of these would not give a faithful 
 portraiture of him. What is such an affirmation 
 but to assert that he was human ? Is it not 
 human to fail and to be infirm ? Mr. Bourne no doubt 
 naturally inherited his father's overbearing spirit and 
 hasty temper : but it was generally softened with the 
 tenderness which he seemed to inherit from his saintly 
 mother. His firmness is thought to have run on some 
 occasions into excess ; but it no doubt rendered him 
 and the Connexion invaluable service in some very 
 critical moments. We admit that it is well known 
 that, in his later years, he allowed himself to use 
 strong language in relation to his early friend, 
 Mr. Clowes. But Mr. Petty justly observes that 
 Mr. Bourne had the manliness in his calmer moments 
 to apologise for the use of such language. Such 
 a testimony from an authority like that of Mr. Petty 
 cannot but be regarded with the highest degree of 
 satisf action. It cannot, however, but be regretted that 
 
124 THE LIFE OF 
 
 after so many years of union in spirit and co-operation 
 in action, that even the slightest misunderstanding 
 should have sprung up between two such eminent 
 men as Hugh Bourne and William Clowes ; but as 
 they have many years ago met together in that happy 
 land — where all such human misunderstandings are 
 fully rectified, and all mysterious problems of divine 
 providence are amply solved — we may easily leave the 
 past in this respect to the Great Arbiter of all events. 
 
 We would venture heartily to say to our great hero, 
 Hugh Bourne, were he present, "With all thy faults 
 we love thee still." His failings and infirmities were 
 undoubtedly the exception, and his excellencies were 
 the rule. 
 
 We think, considering our limited space, that we 
 have sufficiently noticed the former, and proceed to 
 give a brief sketch of the latter. 
 
 Mr. Bourne was evidently a man of strong faith ; 
 he " looked not upon the things which are seen, but 
 upon the things which are unseen." " He endured as 
 seeing Him who is invisible" ; he knew, like Paul, " in 
 whom he had believed," and he was persuaded that He 
 was able to keep him to that day. Many were the 
 instances of strong faith which marked his long 
 Christian course. To him the words of the poet were 
 very applicable — 
 
 " Faith lends its realising light, 
 
 The clouds disperse, the shadows fly ; 
 The invisible appears in sight, 
 And God is seen by mortal eye." 
 
 He was a man of much and earnest prayer. Many 
 of his silent hours in company were occupied by 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 125 
 
 inwardly waiting upon God. Many a night he slept 
 hut little when church cares weighed heavily upon 
 him, spending the hours of the night as well as the 
 -day in agonizing, pleading prayer. In ejaculatory, 
 closet, family, and public prayer he regularly engaged 
 and greatly delighted. How blessed to be a man 
 mighty in faith and prayer ! 
 
 From the foregoing pages it will have been clearly 
 .'gathered that self-denial and beneficence were 
 prominent traits in Mr. Bourne's character. He 
 •certainly practised the most rigid economy in relation 
 to his own personal comforts, in order to enable him to 
 give all he could for the extension of the Connexion. 
 He not only saved all he could, but gave all he could ; 
 yea he gave " body, soul, and spirit " to the work. 
 
 Industry of character and energy of purpose also 
 •distinguished his whole career. His habit of early 
 :rising was life-long. In both study and labour he 
 .acted under the Scriptural direction, " ^Yllatsoever thy 
 hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. " Hardships, 
 which would have utterly discouraged many men, only 
 nerved him to greater diligence. Poverty, affliction, 
 persecution, opposition, the virulence of enemies, the 
 deceitfulness of professed friends, left him unmoved 
 from his purpose. Opposition but acted as a stimulus 
 to nobler daring — to grander achievement. He gathered 
 hope from lowering clouds, and encouragement from 
 threatening storms. With the great apostle he could 
 truly say of magistrates and mobs, of poverty and trial, 
 of opposition and calumny, " none of these things move 
 me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that 
 might finish my course with joy, and the ministry 
 
126 THE LIFE OF 
 
 which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify 
 the gospel of the grace of God." 
 
 Honesty, simplicity, faithfulness, and zeal marked 
 the whole of his career. Innumerable were the 
 evidences supplied that he was a true man, a genuine 
 Christian, a faithful minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 His zeal for the glory of God, and the salvation of 
 souls, was as a burning flame in his bosom, impelling 
 him to labours more abundant, journeyings long 
 and often, self sacrifice unceasing, and consecration 
 to Christ complete. A live coal from the divine 
 altar had been laid upon his lips, which enabled him 
 to say to the call of every duty, in the face of every 
 peril, and under every conceivable circumstance, " Here 
 am I : send me." 
 
 His preaching was characterised by simplicity, 
 fidelity, earnestness, and power. His preaching was 
 not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but with the 
 Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Dr. W. Antliff, 
 in his life of Bourne, gives the following personal 
 testimony : " Who that ever heard Mr. Bourne preach, 
 at least during the last twenty years of his life — for we 
 speak most confidently of that which we have felt and 
 seen — who that ever heard him preach on " The flowing 
 of the living waters," " The shining of the sun in the 
 kingdom of the father," " The great white throne," or 
 any other of his favourite texts, but felt, however 
 quaint, odd, or eccentric the style of address, and the 
 attitude of the preacher, there stood in the pulpit a 
 man who believed what he said and felt what he 
 preached ? Eyes not used to weeping, stern men not 
 often in the melting mood, would often weep, and that 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 127 
 
 freely, under his discourses. Indeed, I confess the 
 
 emotions of my own heart were stirred under him as 
 seldom under another. It was difficult to restrain ones 
 inclination both to laugh and weep under his grotesque 
 and yet pathetic d liverances. He did not mount the 
 pulpit to say line things, or utter mere eloquent phrases, 
 but proclaimed with all possible simplicity and 
 earnestness u the whole counsel of God." 
 
 As a preacher to children, Mr. Bourne was very 
 remarkable and much at home. We quote the following 
 very eloquent and truthful testimony from the Christian 
 Ambassador of February, 1862 : " Hugh Bourne will 
 be held in lasting remembrance for the unwearied 
 attention he devoted during the whole of his public- 
 life to the religious instruction of the young. Amidst 
 the multitudinous engagements constantly pressing 
 upon him, this appeared to be the work most congenial 
 to his disposition, and most imperatively required by 
 his conscience ; it may, indeed, be said to be the work 
 of his life. Everything else was made to bend to it. 
 He would leave any company, however attractive, and 
 any engagement, however urgent, when opportunity 
 presented of addressing a word of religious counsel to a 
 few children." 
 
 Mr. Bateman says, " In one department, however, of 
 the ministerial office, he did excel — preaching to 
 children. This course he adopted at an early period of 
 his ministry, and continued to its close, and it is 
 pleasing to observe how, on many occasions, he could 
 attract and hold the attention of his juvenile auditory 
 to his plain, homely, and simple address." 
 
 Those who have never had the pleasure of hearing 
 
THE LIFE OF 
 
 Mr. Bonnie preach 10 children will be greatly 
 
 deli. - - I with the following sketch, given by 
 
 the auth:: : "Smiles and Tea:- Tex:. "Then 
 
 D the righteous shine forth as the sun 
 
 in the Kj _ m f their Father.'" Matthew 
 
 . v. 43. ** Now, rny child- - text tells us what 
 
 sfa U - like he lyen. And isn't it grand ? The 
 
 - ye - shall be like f stm : now t" sun shines 
 
 miles wide at once. I reckon : and if we are to shine 
 
 life ill be a shine. When Mooes aniedown 
 
 : m t* m "here he had been talking with God, 
 
 the chi E Igb old not bear to look on his 
 
 : e, it shone e ; and when the stle Stephen was 
 
 hifi enemies, his fa: - as though it had been 
 
 : - ran a::_ --'. bo that you may see. from th 
 
 sesofl -—tuning, something f vhat the text means. 
 
 _ny chi. . yon must all aim I get to that grand 
 
 ind if you pray to God to bless you, 
 
 and take you there, for si Jesus 1 -ake. he will 
 
 faring yon all up into heaven — every one. It is no 
 
 matter where you pray, if you only pray i 1 good 
 
 ... fcta yon can pray side f t" bed. side of t" chair, 
 
 ad e of daddy, side of mammy : its no matter where 
 
 — the L:rl can hear all your prayers up i* heaven — 
 
 every one. Now, my dear childer, when you get to 
 
 ven. you'll all be clothed with fine robes: (you 
 
 kn what bee re, my childer — they are long 
 
 trailing on the ground, which kings and 
 
 . And you'll have a crown on your head, 
 
 finer and grander than Queen Victoria's ; and when 
 
 r daddies and mamt. see vou thevil scarcelv 
 
 know you. They'll say — • Hay : is yon our Mary or 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 129' 
 
 our Tommy ? why the}' look as nice as nice, and as* 
 grand as grand ! ' And there's tree o' life in heaven, 
 and nicer tasted fruit than it grows never was — it's 
 nicer and sweeter than sugar : and there's t' river of 
 water of life, too, clear as crystal : nicer and better 
 tasted water never was. And you'll have no sore eyes, 
 nor aches and pains, nor sickness of any sort there — s< i 
 that you must all strive to get there. When you get 
 to heaven, my childer, you will, after a while, see this 
 old world burning up, burning up ; and you'll say — 
 ' There goes t' old world on which we sinned so much,, 
 and suffered so much, and in which old sattin tempted 
 us so much ;' but after all, you'll say, ' it sarved our 
 purpose very well ; for we heard of Jesus on it, said 
 our prayers on it, and lived to God on it, and got to- 
 heaven from off it ; so we have no fault to find with 
 it.' Now, my dear childer, you mustn't miss of heaven ;. 
 for if you do you'll go to t' foul place, and that will 
 never do, never do ; nice childer like you must not 
 go there, for old sattin's there, and foul creatures are 
 there, and bad people, and they shrike and shrike as 
 never was ; and it's as black as black, and as ugly as 
 ugly. You mustn't go there my childer ; and you 
 hav'na any need, for the Lord is waiting to bring you 
 all up into heaven — every one. Say your prayers, my 
 childer, look to the Lord, who died for you and rose- 
 again, and when you die the Lord will take you to- 
 himself. I think I can say no more to you at present, 
 my childer. May God bless you all ! Amen and 
 Amen." 
 
 The above outline will be readily recognised by any 
 who have ever heard him address young persons, and 
 
130 THE LIFE OF 
 
 they will also have recalled to their recollection, as 
 they read it, the tone, the manner, and the looks which 
 attended its delivery, as well as the pleasure with 
 which old and young always listened to him. To those 
 who never had an opportunity of hearing or seeing the 
 venerable man, an imperfect idea only will be formed 
 of the interest which was felt when he was engaged 
 in his favourite employment of preaching to children. 
 This sketch fully justifies the high eulogy upon Mr. 
 Bourne's ability to preach to children given both by 
 Mr. Bateman and the Christian Ambassador. 
 
 And now our delightful task is almost completed, 
 in writing a sketch of the life of Hugh Bourne for the 
 million. 
 
 In this biography there stands before us a man born 
 in the moorlands of Staffordshire — reared in com- 
 parative obscurity — commencing to read the Scriptures 
 with great regularity at the early age of seven years, 
 for the purpose of knowing and keeping the 
 commandments of God — who travelled many years 
 beneath the shadows of Sinai, along the road of legality, 
 :and through the slough of despond, before he reached 
 the cross — whose conversion was bright and clear — who 
 >early received the gift of faith to lead people into 
 conversion by ordinary conversation — who was greatly 
 instructed in the way of faith and salvation by the 
 Stockport revivalists — who witnessed one of the most 
 glorious moral transformations of a people in the 
 neighbourhood of Mow — who, notwithstanding his 
 natural timidity, became in the nineteenth century the 
 great champion of open-air preaching in England — who, 
 .despite the obscurity of his birth and training began 
 
HUGH BOURNE. 131 
 
 early to study history, science, literature, and the learned 
 Languages, so that in the meridian of life he became fitted 
 for editorial, literary, and legislative work — who for 
 years supported himself and others in the ministry — 
 who spent whole nights in the acquisition of knowledge 
 and in prayer for the conversion of souls — who braved 
 great opposition and felt the daily care of all the 
 churches. There stands before us a man of 
 indomitable courage — wondrous perseverance — great 
 faith — mighty prayer — amazing activity in preaching, 
 writing, travelling, and family visiting — great in self- 
 denial, temperance, and economy — a man who saw the 
 first class formed at Stanley, in 1810, and when he 
 passed to his reward in 1852 left the Primitive Methodist 
 Connexion with 109,984 Church Members ; Travelling 
 Preachers, 5G0 ; Local Preachers, 9,350 ; Class Leaders, 
 6,632 ; Connexional and Rented Chapels, 5,318 ; Sunday 
 Schools, 1,463 ; Sabbath Scholars, 118,508 ; Gratuitous 
 Teachers, 22,398. Such was the glorious heritage of 
 Primitive Methodism which Hugh Bourne left when 
 he passed to his reward in the skies, and all this had 
 been gathered together, under the divine blessing, 
 during the first forty-two years of the Connexion's 
 history. 
 
 Of Hugh Bourne it may well be said that " His 
 long continuous labours and deep self-denial 
 rebuke us — we should gather inspiration from his 
 disinterested and unworldly character — his life may be 
 studied with great advantage by preachers, leaders, 
 Sunday school teachers, and members. ,, The Connexion 
 has not the same opposition to brave at present as in its 
 early stages of progress : it has also many advantages of 
 
132 THE LIFE OF 
 
 prestige, education, a Connexional literature, large chapeE 
 and school accommodation, a great multitude of young 
 people, and a rich treasury of memories and experiences 
 from the past. The Connexion has unquestionably 
 great powers for labour and usefulness, both at home 
 and in the foreign field. Could the enthusiasm of the- 
 whole Connexion be sufficiently aroused at one and the 
 same moment, and concentrated entirely on the 
 immediate conversion of souls, we have good reason 
 to believe the past success of our church would be 
 immeasurably outstripped at the present time. 
 
 We say then, in conclusion, let the whole Connexion, 
 at once " Arise and shine " — let her " Awake, and put 
 on her beautiful garments " — let her " Shake herself 
 from the dust and loose herself from the bands of her 
 neck" — let her study intently the lives of her great- 
 founders and their worthy coadjutors — let her imitate 
 their self-denying labours and self-sacrificing zeal — let 
 her movements be distinguished with ever increasing 
 aggression — let her, with one heart and one voice, in 
 mighty prayer and faith, send up the loud cry to 
 heaven, in the language of the Psalmist, " Let thy 
 work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto* 
 their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our 
 God be upon us ; and establish thou the work of our 
 hands upon us ; yea, the work of our hands establish 
 thou it." Psalm xc, 16, 17. 
 
 The End.