FOR JUNE, 1843.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. GEORGE THOMPSON:

BY HIS SON, THE REV. THOMAS THOMPSON, A. M. MR. THOMPSON was born at Cockermouth, October 19th, 1774. He was the eldest child of Joseph Thompson and Ann his wife, whose maiden name was Wren. His paternal grandmother was a member of the Methodist society in Cockermouth, and to her instructions he was indebted for his first serious impressions. After the lapse of half a century he bore the following testimony to her worth:-"She was a saint indeed; one in whom there was no guile. The first time I remember kneeling down to pray, was at her knee. She told me of the blessedness of being good, and the certainty of heaven to all who loved and feared God. Indeed, many of her sayings are as fresh in my recollection as if spoken to-day, though it is not less than fifty years ago." He was favoured, moreover, with the instructions of an affectionate and thoughtful mother. She had been educated in the school of affliction; having, when very young, lost her father, mother, and only brother, within seven weeks. Being left by her parents in comfortable circumstances, her subsequent life, until the period of her marriage, was spent in improving her mind, and cultivating the fear of God. Thus was this favoured child, like Timothy, greatly indebted, under God, to both his mother and grandmother, for those religious impressions which formed the commencement of a life of ministerial devotedness and success. These excellent women, though unconscious of it, were educating a Minister of Christ; one who, though not destined to add to the treasures of theological literature, was not less honoured in the salvation of many souls from death.

In pursuing the history of the subject of this memoir, it is difficult to resist the impression, that the Almighty was preparing him for some useful and holy office.

At the expiration of an apprenticeship served with the late Mr. John Wilson, hatter, of Cockermouth, he married Miss Mary Bow. During the period of his apprenticeship, though preserved from sinking into gross immorality, his religious principles were much shaken, and the fear of God to a considerable extent removed from before his VOL. XXII. Third Series. JUNE, 1843. 2 I

eyes. By this marriage his downward progress was checked. His wife was the child of pious parents. Her father had long entertained the Methodist Ministers, who frequently preached in his house. The daughter partook of the spirit of her parents; and was, therefore, qualified to be a help-meet to the piety of her attached but volatile husband. But how inscrutable are the ways of Providence! About a year after the marriage she died, soon after giving birth to her firstborn. The heart of her husband was "stricken and withered within him" by this dispensation. "Then it was," he writes, "that I saw my guilt, misery, and danger, and felt my base ingratitude; then it was I sowed in tears; and, thank God, then it was I reaped in joy." During a prayer-meeting held in the house of his father-in-law, he was enabled to venture, in the exercise of faith, on the atonement of Christ; and, "being justified by faith," he had "peace with God."

Shortly after the death of his wife he proceeded to the metropolis, for the purpose of improving himself in his business. He had not, however, been long in London, before he had cause to regret that he had not previously joined the people of God. Being naturally of a cheerful disposition, he soon found plenty of associates, some of whom were in the habit of spending the Sabbath in pleasure and frivolity. With these practices, though with a heavy heart, he was induced for some time to comply, until his wretchedness became insupportable. He felt that he "could not do this great wickedness and sin against God," and resolved to " come out from" his sinful companions," and be separate." This, by the grace of God, he was enabled to accomplish. To describe the anguish which he had brought upon himself, would be impossible; but he was not without hope, and purposed to learn wisdom by experience. He commenced a regular attendance on the public worship of God in a small Methodist chapel, then called "Mr. Edwards's chapel." His regularity and seriousness at length attracted the attention of one of the members of the society, who spoke to him in an affectionate manner, ascertained the state of his mind, and invited him to class. This invitation he complied with. The class with which he connected himself met in the house of Mr. Edwards, and belonged professedly to him, though chiefly met by Mr. Wood, brother of the late Rev. Thomas Wood, Wesleyan Minister. After meeting for about a quarter of a year, he received his first ticket, from the venerable Alexander Mather, in September, 1799.

But though his worldly prospects in London were exceedingly attractive, he could not resist an impression that it was his duty to return to the county of his birth. In consequence of this, he took his departure in the month of October, and proceeded to Carlisle, then forming a part of the Whitehaven Circuit. He immediately commenced meeting in class; and, finding that his mind was in a much worse state than when he left Cockermouth for London, he sought the Lord with diligence, until at length He restored to him the joys

of his salvation. From this period his religious experience began to improve, and his character to acquire solidity, and command respect. It was not long before the Rev. Robert Harrison, who then superintended the Whitehaven Circuit, saw fit to place him in office in the church. The class in which he met had prospered so much, that it became necessary to divide it; and, much to his astonishment, he was appointed one of the Leaders.

At the Conference of 1800, Mr. Harrison, and his colleagues, left the Whitehaven Circuit, and were succeeded by the Rev. Messrs. John Braithwaite, W. E. Miller, and John Hearnshaw. Ilis own piety, meanwhile, had greatly improved, and the characteristics of his future ministerial career began to be developed. He was now distinguished by an ardent zeal for the glory of God in the salvation of his fellow-men; and his qualifications for more extensive usefulness were not overlooked by his new Superintendent, who gave him his authority to preach. Of this authority he speedily and cheerfully availed himself, though not without a deep conviction of the responsibility which the office of an expounder of the word of God involves. In attention to duty, he was literally "instant in season and out of season." He only lived to seek and save the lost. He was restless to promote the glory of God; and if at times he did not manifest the utmost discretion in the measures which he adopted, of the purity of his motives no one could doubt. Indeed, he sometimes evinced much more zeal than prudence. On one occasion a warrant was served upon him by a clerical Magistrate, for preaching without license in a churchyard. The document now lies before me, in which "the said George Thompson, not being a person dissenting from the Church of England, in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, nor having taken the Oaths and subscribed the Declaration, required by law to be taken and subscribed by Preachers or teachers of congregations of dissenting Protestants," is summoned to appear before "Browne Grisdale, Doctor in Divinity, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, to inquire into the said information and complaint, and to be farther dealt with according to law." Shortly after this he took "the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and subscribed the Declaration required by law to be made by Preachers and teachers of dissenting congregations."

At a later period, while preaching one Easter-Monday on an open plot of ground, near the Castle of Carlisle, a day on which there is usually assembled on that spot a great concourse of people,―he and his companions were suddenly surrounded by a number of rude men, and driven from the ground. He himself received a severe blow on the hand from a large stone.

There is a pleasing sequel to this day's business, which I cannot deny myself the gratification of mentioning. A lady of the Church of England, named Gale, having heard from her nephew, who was on the spot, of what Mr. Thompson had both done and suffered on this