Of whom the world was not worthy Part I

Short accounts (from the church minute book at Hope Chapel, Rochdale) of the church members during the early years of John Kershaw’s ministry

MARY LAW (9)

Mary Law was removed from us by the hand of death, April 9th, 1827, having been a member with us eight years and a member of the church in Town Meadows in its infancy. She was a poor, tried woman for she had a drunken husband, but the Lord blessed her with strength equal to her day for she enjoyed much of the love of her dear Jesus in her soul and now, we trust, she is in His presence, where there is fulness of joy and at His right hand where there are pleasures for evermore. Our minister preached a sermon occasioned by her death from Luke 16, verse 22: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” She died in the seventy-eighth year of her age, having been a Baptist sixty years.

ROBERT SMITH (10)

Robert Smith was removed from us by the hand of death, July 21st, 1827, having been a member with us six years. As a young man he was one of the most steady men we ever had among us. He was a North Briton and was by trade what we call a travelling Scotchman. In general he had little to say and conducted himself in a humble, kind, affectionate way. He possessed a little of this world’s goods and he was ever ready either to give or lend to carry on the cause of God, and he was ever ready to help a poor brother in distress. In a word, he was enabled through grace to conduct himself in such a way as to gain him the respect of all his brethren. He was well established in the discriminating doctrines of grace, vindicated by Dr. Gill, Toplady, Newton and others. He died of a consumption [tuberculosis, a deadly disease then] in Scotland in the neighbourhood of Dumfries, for his medical attendant, finding that the power of his medicine was baffled, advised him to return to his own country for the benefit of the change of air. But this was all in vain for the Lord had determined otherwise. The time appointed for him to be taken to glory was come. The last words that he was heard to utter were a part of the 67th hymn of the second book by Dr. Watts [“Great God, how infinite art Thou!”].“North Briton ” was an old name for a Scotsman. At this time there were many travelling Scotsmen trading.

JOHN SMITH (11)

John Smith, the brother of the above-mentioned Robert Smith, was removed from communion with us as a church January 7th, 1828, to enjoy the company of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect, and of Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and of God the Judge of all. He was a steady, peaceable member and a man of few words, being better able to declare what God had done for his soul by his pen and conduct than by his mouth. Like his brother Robert Smith he died in Scotland of a consumption. These two brothers were both cut off by the hand of death in their youth. They were useful men in the church but their work is done and the Lord has taken them to Himself to be for ever in His presence, where there is fulness of joy and at His right hand where there are pleasures for evermore. John was a member nine years and four months. Robert was a member with us six years. They both died young. John left behind him a wife and Robert a wife and a child.

ESTHER RAMSBOTTOM (12)

Esther Ramsbottom was removed from us by death, March 8th, 1828, and our minister preached her funeral [sermon] on Lord’s day March 25th from a text that she had made choice of several years before her death, which was Psalm 37, verses 39 and 40: “But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” After he had gone through the subject, he gave the following account of the deceased: She was born in Shuttleworth in the parish of Bury in the year 1739, and she lived the first forty years in an unconcerned state of mind, without God and without hope in the world; to use her expression “as unconcerned about her soul and future state as a dog.” She was first awakened to a sense of her lost state by attending a prayer meeting which was established in the neighbourhood by a Christian man by the name of Ashworth. She was no sooner led to see herself lost and undone but she was led by the Spirit to the cross of Christ and enabled to build her soul’s eternal all upon Him as her Rock and her Refuge, and from a principle of love to Christ longed to keep His commandments. It was about this time that the first Independent interest was established at Bury and the chapel built, commonly called Ely Chapel. With the people at this place she cast in her lot and continued an honourable member until the Park Chapel was built and a church formed at Park, when our deceased sister and some others were dismissed from Bury to the Park for convenience sake, and she continued as a member at Park until Mr. Holmes left the Park and the church was broken up. Though she was so long among the Independents, she was the greatest part of the time a Baptist in principle but had not the opportunity of casting in her lot with a people of that denomination that was agreeable to her own mind until she became acquainted with us as a people. She joined us August 4th, 1816, in the seventy-seventh year of her age, and as she died in the eighty-ninth year of her age, it would appear that she had been a member with us near twelve years. We have every reason to believe that her heart was with us, though the distance she lived from us and her advanced age and feeble frame rendered it impossible for her to attend regularly among us on a Lord’s day. But for eight years before her death, I have gone once a month to preach in the neighbourhood where she lived, and she always considered this a great privilege to her. We mostly got our breakfast, milk and porridge, together the morning after the preaching and a chapter was read and prayer made. In our conversation she often enquired how we were coming on at the chapel and if we were peaceable. When my answer was “No,” O how she was grieved! But when my answer was “Yes,” it always gave her great satisfaction. She was a woman very much respected by all who knew her, and the respect shown towards her at her funeral was very great. I do not remember ever being at and seeing a funeral with so many people at it. It brought to my mind the burying of old Jacob and the great number that went with him out of Egypt to bury him in Canaan.

From where Esther Ramsbottom lived would have been several miles ‘ walk over wild moors. Her home must have been near Limey Leach (possibly Limey Leach itself), where Mr. Kershaw preached. It was the custom in those days for people to choose the text to be preached from after their death. The manner in which this account changes to “I” suggests that all these beautiful little accounts were written by John Kershaw himself – though he usually says “our minister.”

WILLIAM BUTTERWORTH (13)

William Butterworth died July 7th, 1828, having been a member only eleven months but a hearer nineteen years. He was a poor, tried man with a large family and about a fortnight before his death his wife was delivered of a fine, living child. He was much supported in his mind in his affliction, and he left a good testimony behind him of being interested in Christ, and they that are in Christ are safe “for there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ,” but “blessed are the dead which die in the Lord”. He lived the most part of his time at Heywood but a few months before his death he removed to Hamer Hall where he died.

SARAH CHADWICK (14)

Sarah Chadwick departed this life November 28th, 1828, having been a member with us nearly seventeen years. She lived at Shaw Chapel, and though the distance was above four miles, she was very regular for many years. But for several years before she died she was so poorly that she was not fit to come. She was a woman sound in the faith of God’s elect. Mary Butterworth, the third that was removed by death [see account last month, and her came together for many years and they are both laid in one grave [in Hope Chapel burial ground].

Shaw Chapel is near Royton (on the way to Oldham).

ALICE LORD (15)

Alice Lord departed this life July 10th, 1829, having been a member of this church nearly ten years. She was a very constant attender upon the means of grace, living in the neighbourhood of the chapel. She was very constant at the prayer meeting at our minister’s house on a Wednesday night, not forgetting the assembling of herself with the people of God, as the manner of some is. But it pleased the Lord to lay His afflicting hand upon her, and her sufferings for eighteen months were very great, but she endured as seeing Him who is invisible. The following soul-animating passage of Scripture was made a great blessing to her soul: “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Tim. 1. 12). It was her desire that our minister should preach from this passage for the benefit of her friends after her death.

MICHAEL ASPENAL (16)

Michael Aspenal died July 28th, 1829, having had a name and a place amongst us seven years and three months. He was truly a brand plucked out of the burning. In his youth he went for a soldier and was so unruly that he was five times flogged. He was one that was sent with Napoleon Bonaparte to Saint St. Helena. He was discharged when the peace was made with France, and after his return it pleased that God, who separated him from his mother’s womb, to call him by His grace and reveal Christ in him the hope of glory. He was a steady, zealous advocate for the distinguishing doctrines of grace, and it was evident by his conduct that the Lord taught him to deny ungodliness and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this evil world. His confidence in the Lord was such as in the general to exclude doubts and fears. He made choice of the 116th Psalm, verses 7 and 8, as a funeral text: “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.”

In the days of Gadsby, Warburton and Kershaw, there were many like this who were by grace brought right out of the world.