It is not long since that Mr. Stanley, who has been well known for many years all over the country as a preacher and writer, published a little volume to show how remarkably God had led him ever since his conversion.
Nothing more is attempted now than giving a few details of his closing days, which many have desired to have; and, in doing this, our chief object is to make it profitable to the living rather than to eulogize the Lord’s beloved and honored servant, who, we are assured, labored, and spread the savor of Christ, with expectation of reward at His appearing. Few have had the privilege of preaching the gospel of God for upwards of fifty-five years, and fewer still, who, ‘within two days of falling asleep, have closed their gospel testimony with a more earnest appeal to the unsaved to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and to rest on God’s word as giving to every believer the divine certainty of eternal salvation.
For three years, or more, he had been now and then interrupted in his public ministry by serious attacks of illness. And early in the autumn of last year {1889}, in walking to the meeting-room one Lord’s Day morning, he was suddenly seized with such an attack of giddiness and faintness that he said he felt as if he were dying, and would have fallen had he not laid hold of an iron railing which was close at hand; at that moment, however, his soul was happily lighted up with the words, “In thy presence is fullness of joy.” This illness laid him aside from preaching for some time, though still able to write for the press, and carry on correspondence with many of the loved servants of our Lord both at home and abroad.
Toward the end of September last, he went to Southport for change of air, and often suffered while there from attacks of faintness. It was feared then that he would not preach much more, and his own expressed thought at that time was, that his public evangelistic labors were drawing to a close, but that, perhaps, he might be permitted of the Lord, for a little while longer, to have the privilege of ministering to his fellow believers the following Scripture, Num. 8:25, 2625And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 26But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. (Numbers 8:25‑26), having greatly impressed his soul at this time. While there, he rallied much, and, after a few weeks, returned home. A little before leaving Southport, he preached with much joy in the Lord, and with the assurance of there being marks of God’s blessing accompanying the word. After his return to Rotherham, he felt so much better that he resumed preaching every now and then; but we all saw that he was far from being in his usual measure of health. In public ministry he was now led again to his favorite theme, “The Righteousness of God,” in which he was instructed beyond most, and in the proclamation of which it seems the Lord had much honored him twenty or thirty years ago. We have been informed by several who were privileged to hear him, that his preaching was with uncommon power and profit.
By gift and by grace received, he was an eminent evangelist, and had great delight in the service, both in oral ministry and in the writing, publication, and gratuitous distribution of gospel tracts (millions of which, for many years, have been spread almost all over the world), and, during the last ten years, he was editor of the monthly serial Things New and Old. He contended earnestly for the divine authority of the holy Scriptures, labored also to build up the children of God in their most holy faith, and was careful to have nothing less before him than the blessing of the whole church of God. To the importance and scriptural teaching of this, he often referred. His ministry, in a word, was concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. He well knew that the Holy Ghost was the Glorifier and Testifier of Him.
It was early in March that he paid us his last visit, and remained for several hours. He then appeared to be so much better, so full of energy, and so free from weakness and faintness, that during a considerable portion of the time he read aloud some extracts of a correspondence on great principles of divine truth which had lately interested him; and he seemed to have regained so much of his accustomed measure of health, that we began to think we had been mistaken as to the diseased heart having arrived at the stage we had supposed. Within a few days after, we visited him, when we found him again fairly well. In his accustomed brotherly kindness, he met us at the Railway Station, drove us to his house, where we had a happy time of prayer and conference, and, on leaving, he again accompanied us into the town in order that we might see as much of each other as we could. Little did we then think that it would be the last time we should meet together for prayer and conference on the things of our Lord Jesus Christ. But so it was. Though he was our hearty fellow-laborer in the Lord’s work we did not often meet, because we had our separate lines of service, though, for many years, we were in almost constant correspondence, and often asked each other’s prayers, especially as to teaching and preaching the Lord Jesus Christ, and any other matters in His blessed service which might be pressing on us. Thank God, the intimacy between us, as the Lord’s servants, which was begun in 1867, was never broken; only, as time rolled on, it became more spiritual, and more truly Christian fellowship. The reason, by God’s gracious blessing, was this: as a rule, we never met at each other’s houses and separated without bowing before God in prayer and thanksgiving. So mutual was the felt importance of this, that even if the interview was necessarily short, one or the other would say, “We must have prayer before we part.” His prayers seemed usually to be, not only those of a man who loved the Lord Jesus, but to be the utterances of one who was very near Him. If we had to speak of the failings or sins of others, we usually reminded each other that our prayer more than ever should be, “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe!”