By REV. ARCHD. BEATON, Gairloch.
THIS witness for Christ had parents who were distinguished for piety and worth. He was born near Bolton in Lancashire in 1629. He set a special mark on the day of his baptism on its annual returns, to renew his baptismal covenant, and dedicated himself afresh to God. While still young he gave signs of tenderness of conscience and delight in divine things, with an earnest desire to be what he called “a good minister.” This encouraged his parents to think of devoting him to the work of the ministry and they gave him a liberal education. After passing through the Grammar School, he passed on to Cambridge. His good father on leaving him at Cambridge, left him a paper containing these sensible injunctions which we think well worth quoting. “My son, labour above all things to make your peace with God, by humbling your soul evening and morning, and oftener, before Him that you may know that God hath begun a good work of grace in your heart. Be very frequent in reading the Scriptures, with knowledge and understanding, that you may be a good scribe, armed against temptations, and able to convince gainsayers. Labour to get every day some sanctified thoughts and spiritual meditations, which will be a heavenly life and walking with God; and write them in a book, and title it, The Meditations of my Youth. Take short notes of every sermon you hear, and write some fair over for your loving mother. Often remember how short and precious your time is, and that upon it depends eternity. As to society, keep a mean: neither too solitary, lest you be melancholy; nor too much desire company, lest you be drawn aside; and above all take heed of bad company, and seek out the good!”
After finishing his education he was ordained in 1652. His income while in his charge was but very small. After his ejection in 1662, he was often in distress: “yet providence so seasonably and abundantly appeared for him, that he was not only enabled to support the heavy expenses of fines and imprisonment, and much other hard usage, but he maintained two sons in academical learning.” These two sons afterwards became faithful ministers of Jesus Christ. Though he was very much persecuted after he was ejected—the details of which cannot be entered upon in this paper—he always continued to preach, in private houses and other places, as he got the opportunity. It is said that “some thousands were indebted to his ministry for deep and abiding impressions.” He was once sent for by a parish minister, evidently a profane young man, dying of consumption; who on Mr. Heywood’s arrival, “confessed with agony of conscience his dreadful sin, in taking upon him the ministry while he knew himself to be unconverted; begged him to pray for him, and earnestly asked him what repentance was.” Mr. Heywood gave him a good advice and was desired to come back again, “but before he could go, this clergyman died, without any evidence of obtaining mercy.”
In the life of this remarkable man, which was published with Historical Sketches of the times in which he lived, there are some anecdotes which may be of interest to our readers. Two of which we would like to relate without trespassing too much on our worthy Editor’s space, and they both are told relative to the remarkable interpositions of providence in favour of this man of God. On one special occasion our subject was reduced to great straits after the loss of his income, so that his children were in great need of food. He told his servant, who did not desert the family in their distress, to go to a certain shopkeeper and ask him to give her five shillings worth of what was most necessary for food, if he would be kind enough to give it, until he, her master, would be able to pay it. “The Lord,” he said, “give you good speed, and in the meantime we will offer up our requests to Him who feedeth the young ravens when they cry.” Martha, for that was her name, went but when she came to the shop her courage failed her, and she passed by the door again and again without going in to tell her errand. The shopkeeper, standing at the door, called her to him and asked if she was Mr. Heywood’s servant. When she told him she was, he said to her: “I am glad to see you, as some friends have given me five guineas for your master and I was just thinking how I could send it.” Upon this she burst into tears and told him her errand. He was much affected with the story, and told her to come to him if the like necessity should return. Having procured the necessary provisions, she hastened back, and on entering the house the children eagerly examined the basket, and the father on hearing the servant’s story said: “The Lord has not forgotten to be gracious; his word is true from the beginning: they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”
The other anecdote is as follows:—When the spirit of persecution was so hot against this good man he was obliged to leave his home on horseback one winter’s morning, before it was light, like Abraham, “not knowing whither he went,” and without a copper in his pocket. Having committed himself to the Lord, he permitted the horse to go the way he would. Having gone all day without food, the horse, towards the evening, made his way to a farm house a little off the road. Mr. Heywood knocked at the door and asked the woman who answered, would she be kind enough to give himself and his horse shelter for the night, telling her that he only wished hay for the beast and liberty for himself to sit by her fireside. Upon calling her husband, they both kindly invited him to come in. The mistress soon prepared food for him to eat, at which he expressed his concern, as he had no money to pay for it, but hoped God would reward them. They assured him that they did not expect any reward and that he was welcome to partake of the best they had. After some conversation, the master asked him where did he come from. He said he was born in Lancashire, but that his home was now near Halifax. “And do you know anything about Mr. Heywood who had been a minister near Halifax, but is now forbidden to preach,” said the master. To which he replied: “There is a great deal of noise about that man; some speak well and some speak ill of him; for my own part I can say very little in his favour.” “I believe,” said the farmer, “he is of that sect which is everywhere spoken against; but pray, what makes you form such an indifferent opinion of him?” Mr. Heywood answered: “I know something of him, but as I do not choose to propagate an ill report of anyone, let us talk of some other subject.” After keeping the farmer and his wife some time in suspense, he at length told them “that he was that poor outcast.” All was then surprise and thankfulness to the Most High who brought him under their roof. The master of the house then said to him, “I have a few neighbours who love the gospel: if you will give us a word of exhortation, I will run and acquaint them. This is an obscure place, and as your coming here is not known, I hope we shall have no interruption.” Mr. Heywood consented, and soon a small congregation gathered to whom he preached, to his own and their benefit. A small collection was then voluntarily made to help the outed minister on his way.
It appears from his diary, which he kept till five days of his death, that in one year, 1681, besides his Sabbath sermons, he preached one hundred and fifty times, kept fifty days of fasting and prayer, and nine of thanksgiving, and travelled 1400 miles between walking and riding, in serving Christ and the souls of men. His works, which are a number of volumes, are held in high estimation for sound theology and practical religion. He died in great peace and joy in 1702 at the age of 73 years.