He had hardly been there a matter of months before a great work
of God began there. From the mid 1730s a great revival had broken out
in England, Wales and America.
by Paul Cook
[An address at the Revival and Reformation Conference, Swanwick, November
20, 2002]
200,000 tourists go to Haworth every year in pursuit of the Bronte sisters
legacy in English literature, out of love for English literature. There
are
some good books which the local Christians try to sell them, including
the
biography of William Grimshaw written by Faith Cook (Banner of Truth).
Haworth is a small town in west Yorkshire set in the Pennines. It is
a town
of great historic interest. Heptonstall is another nearby village which
has
kept many of its cobbled streets and 18th century flavour. There was a
legend that was spread by Mrs Gaskill that Grimshaw horse-whipped his
parishioners into the services. Utterly untrue. Ted Hughes the Poet
Laureate was aware of Grimshaw and his impact on the community. Hughes
said
that Grimshaw had 'changed the very landscape.' He pays him a noble
tribute. Grimshaw was the outstanding pioneer of the 18th century revival
in the north of England. He did most to spread the gospel, preaching 20
times a week and sometimes 30 times.
Grimshaw was a Lancastrian; as someone said to me last night, 'Grimshaw
was a missionary over there.' He was born near Blackburn and in early
childhood he had some spiritual impressions. He was admitted to Christ's
College Cambridge at 17. For the first two years of his life he was sober
and diligent, but in his third year he learned to drink and swear, but
that
was no obstacle to his ordination. He became a curate near Hebden Bridge
where the inhabitants were wild. They lived barbarously and were punished
barbarously. 23 year old Grimshaw was hardly any better then his
parishioners, playing cards and fishing. His pastoral visits were times
for
heavy drinking.
During this time he had some pangs of conscience and longings to be better
men. Remorse and self-remorse characterised him, but failing to preach
the
gospel he took up bizarre methods to attain reformation in the community.
When a man refused to marry his pregnant girlfriend Grimshaw dressed up
like the devil in dark clothing, horns and a tail and he concealed himself
near the stile where this man walked home at dusk. As he mounted the stile
Grimshaw rose from the shadows with terrifying grip and threatened to
take
him to Hades if he refused to marry the girl. The trembling man promised
to
do the right thing. That was his effort to heighten the moral tone of
the
village. When a couple had a cot death he came to the parents and told
them
to seek merry company. He was unable to help them and then a new
seriousness came into his life and he began to seek the Lord. He looked
into the bottomless pit and saw the devil's face, and he heard the
clamouring voice of his conscience. He had to address God where he finally
found mercy. His turning to God first showed itself in a new scrupulousness
in morals. He became diligent in his duties and he urged his congregation
to b upright in their lives. "We are in a damnable state and I know
not how
to get out of it," he cried to the congregation once.
A widow set his sights on him and she came on a horse and told him that
she
wanted him as husband. A short time later he was wed, and two children
in
the next years were born. His wife did not help his seeking for God. He
returned to some seriousness and began a ledger on which he wrote his
good
works on one side and his sins on another and kept his accounts as sinner
and creditor day by day, thinking he was thus keeping a good relationship
with God. He thought at the end of each year that he was leading a balanced
life. He did this for 7 long years knowing nothing of peace with God.
In
November 1739 his wife died leaving him desolate. His wife's family took
the children and he was left in despair. God was taking him to the end
of a
life lived without Christ.
A travelling preacher had heard him and rebuked him for his beliefs.
This
man told Grimshaw he was a Jew who was building on the sand. In 1742 he
picked up a book written by a friend. A strange flash of heat struck him
on
the face as he read it. It was John Owen on Justification. He felt a flash
of heat again as he read the title. He took the heat as a heaven sent
sign.
Grimshaw took the book and read it carefully. It became his means of life
and salvation.
He married again, 6 months before his conversion, and soon they moved
to
Haworth. Here he was perpetual curate. But in 5 years she also died and
Grimshaw cast lots to see whether he should marry again.
He had hardly been there a matter of months before a great work of God
began there. From the mid 1730s a great revival had broken out in England,
Wales and America. In the 1740s an awakening began in Scotland. In 1738
a
work of God began in the Leeds area and John Nelson soon joined Benjamin
Ingham in the West Riding and in Lancashire, and 50 religious societies
were started. The revival in Haworth affected the whole area. Much work
was
done in local homes in worsted cloth manufacture.
William Grimshaw spoke directly to the villagers, and they appreciated
it.
The church building held a 1000 people, but soon they were crowds in the
church yard to listen. Overflowing companies of men and women were
listening, and when Whitefield visited and preached to them up to 6,000
gathered. As Whitefield announced his text on, 'It is appointed unto man
once to die,' a person shrieked out and that person was soon dead.
Whitefield needed to start again and after again announcing his text there
was another shriek and another person died. There was something so stark
about those days. Grimshaw resisted the encouragement of physical
manifestations of that time. Conviction of sin and a love of righteousness
were the marks he wanted to be seen in those professing conversion.
In 1743 Grimshaw began to organise his converts into little groups. He
crossed parish boundaries to help new Christians in neighbouring parishes.
Sometimes he preached for 2 hours to those who were longing to hear the
word. In the local inn afterwards 100 people were eating and a visitor
was
struck with the fact that all the conversation was of the gospel. The
whole
tenor of living in the community changed. Bad language and immorality
sharply declined.
There was an occasion when a group of teenagers had jostled some of the
people on their way to a prayer meeting. They told Grimshaw about it.
He
dressed up, disguising himself as a youth and joined them. He inched the
gang towards the door of the Prayer Meeting room and pushed them all into
the cottage where it was taking place. He took out his horsewhip and
chastised them, and then he fell on his knees and prayed for their souls.
Many amazing conversions took place. A woman refused to go to church
with
her converted husband. One day this man forcefully dressed her in her
Sunday best and he took a rod and he drove her the 6 miles to Haworth,
"as
men drive a beast to market and I went, cursing Grimshaw all the way."
She
was converted, and returned the next week going of her own accord. Grimshaw
soon came to their farmhouse and returned regularly to preach.
He was a direct preacher: "If you perish you perish with the sound
of the
gospel in your lugs. Some of your are worse than the very swine. You say
nothing over your food while the pigs make sounds." Another quote
when a
prodigal returns - "Yonder he comes! Yonder he comes! Rag tag and
bobtail
he comes . . ." and the whole congregation turned to see the man
coming in.
He had a celestial eloquence, though unfortunately none of his sermons
have
survived. He was a 'Puritan on the warpath.'.
At the annual horses race Grimshaw made representations to the organisers
and he tried to stop it, but he failed. So Grimshaw prayed, and the rains
fell for three days and the races were never held again. He preached
against using the Lord's Day for football (though he played with the boys
during the week). He went looking for wanderers and he spoke to them.
At one time he was suspicious of the Methodists but he learned about
them,
and was led to them, and one of them helped him understand the Calvinistic
faith. He met Wesley and then the Countess, and then Whitefield. There
developed a string of preaching centres - the Haworth 'round.' In 1747
he
had a strong impression of God to set out on a preaching tour, the first
of
many to Manchester and Rochdale and other places on the way, preaching
3 or
4 times each day. But he was always back in Haworth for the Sunday. For
the
next 16 years of his life he advanced the gospel throughout the north
of England.
On his pulpit he had the text written plainly, 'I was determined not
to
know anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified.'. . . 'At home and
abroad,' he said, 'my work is the same . . .'
Lessons from his life
1. The importance of admonishing sinners to make the gospel an issue.
2. The need to maintain zeal in the work of God.
3. The wonderful way in which God raises up men of outstanding gifts during
revivals.
4. His life illustrates the supreme importance of preaching in the spread
of the gospel.
