JOHN BERRIDGE was one of those remarkable men raised up by God during the eighteenth century, when He wakened so many parts of England out of the death slumber in which they had lain so long. Bishop Ryle has said of this noteworthy servant of Christ:—”Of all the English Evangelists of the eighteenth century, this good man was undeniably the most quaint and eccentric. Without controversy, he was a very odd person, a comet rather than a planet, a man who must be put in a class by himself, a minister who said and did things which nobody else could say or do. But the eccentricities of the Vicar of Everton was probably better known than his graces. With all his peculiarities, he was a man of rare gifts, and deeply taught by the Holy Ghost. Above all, he was a mighty instrument for good in the orbit in which he moved. Few preachers, perhaps, at this period were more honoured of God and more useful to souls than the eccentric John Berridge.” (Christian Leaders, p. 216).
John Berridge was born at Kingston, Nottinghamshire, on 1st March 1716. His father was a wealthy farmer and grazier. While at school, John was one day invited by a fellow-scholar to come into his house, and was then asked by the boy if he would read the Bible to him. Berridge consented, but as this was repeated, he began to feel a certain aversion to the practice, and this led him to perceive that he was not right with God. This led him to ponder over his life, and resulted in his beginning a similar practice with his companions. The father was extremely anxious that the son should follow his own line of business, but John was ill-adapted to value animals or transact business. The old man at length consented that he should go to College, and thus he entered Clare College, Cambridge, where he took his Bachelor’s Degree in 1738, and his Master’s in 1742. About this time he was elected a Fellow of his College. He obtained a high reputation at the University as a thorough scholar. A clergyman, who knew him well for fifty years, said that he was as familiar with Latin and Greek as with English. Owing to his keen-edged humour and geniality, his company was much sought after, and the companionship of the world soon deadened the serious impressions that had been made on his mind. He was also led to adopt Socinian views. He gave up private prayer, except for intervals, for ten years. During these intervals the memory of past days would rise up before him, and he would often say—”Oh that it were with me as in years past!” It was while floundering in the Socinian bog that John Berridge became a minister of the Church of England. In 1749 he became curate of Stapleford, and entered on his duties with great zeal. His life was all that could be desired from a worldly standpoint, and his preaching had a certain attractiveness about it, but during the first six years of his ministry he was entirely ignorant of the Gospel. Six years later he was presented by his College to the living of Everton, Bedfordshire, where days of refreshing from on high were to visit him and his people. After two years, doubts arose in his mind if all was right with himself. Instead of getting on solid ground, he was more like one sinking in deep waters. He cried mightily to God, praying: “Lord, if I am right, keep me so; if I am not right, make me so, and lead me to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.” The Lord at length heard his cry. One morning as he sat musing on a text of Scripture, these words seemed to dart into his mind like a voice from heaven—”Cease from thine own works; only believe.” He now saw clearly that salvation was altogether by grace, and that his effort to blend the works of the law with the faith of the Gospel would never do. There was a marked change immediately in his preaching. A woman of his congregation came to him in distress. “Well, Sarah, what is the matter?” he asked. “Matter!” she said, “why, I don’t know what is the matter. Those new sermons! I find we are all to be lost now! I can neither eat, drink, or sleep. I don’t know what is to become of me.” Others soon came, all deeply convicted under the new preaching. People gathered from all parts to hear him. He, like a true evangelist, went further afield, and preached not only in Bedfordshire, but also in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Hertfordshire, and in Essex and Suffolk. He would often preach twelve times and ride 100 miles a week. His preaching was remarkably blessed. While thousands received blessing, he was not without his enemies—the worst of all being the unconverted ministers of his own county.
The interview with his Bishop, in which the dignitary used all his influence to stop Berridge from preaching outside his own parish, is well known, and need not be repeated here.
He died at Everton on 22nd January 1793. As he felt the ominous warning of coming dissolution, he said in a feeling and emphatic way:—”What should I do now if I had no better foundation to rest upon than what Dr Priestly, the Socinian, points out?”
Some of the quaintness that characterised Berridge throughout life followed him to his grave, as the following inscription on his tomb-stone will show:—
Here lie the earthly remains of John Berridge, late vicar of Everton, and an itinerant servant of Jesus Christ, who loved his Master and His work; and, after running on His errands many years, was caught up to wait on Him above.
READER!
Art thou born again?
No Salvation without a new birth.
I was born in sin, Feb. 1716;
Remained ignorant of my fallen state till 1730;
Lived proudly on faith and works for salvation till 1754;
Admitted to Everton Vicarage, 1755;
Fled to Jesus alone for refuge, 1756;
Fell asleep in Christ, January 22nd, 1793.