The Life And Ministry Of Thomas Collinge

Gospel Standard 1872:

Death. On May 7th, aged 62, Mr. Thomas Collinge, late pastor of the church of Christ at Bury, Lancashire.

He was born in 1810 at Blackley, near Manchester. His parents being very poor, his lot was but a rough and hard one. His father died when Thomas was about nine years of age, leaving a widow and five children, of whom Thomas was the eldest.

About this time he was turned upon the world, and, to use his own words, “’We were much dependent on other people. O how often have I been glad of a crust!” adding, “The people among whom I lived found that I was born in sin; for I lived as if I had no soul, and as if there was no God. As I grew in years, strength, and vigour, I spent all in sin; I hated to hear the singing of hymns and the tolling of the bell for the dead. I hated God and the thoughts of death and eternity with a perfect hatred.”

In a letter to a friend, our brother says, “Conscience began to check me, and then I wished there was no God; for sin was sweet to me, and those checks of conscience began to spoil my pleasure. I little thought then that God was mindful of me; but I have cause to bless his dear name that 

‘”He watch’d o’er my path,

When, Satan’s blind fool, I sported with death.’

Even the graceless wicked in the neighbourhood used to talk to me about my doings; but I laughed them to scorn. I once saw a man die. He was taken suddenly, and died in a short time. This terrified me much; but nothing did me any real good until the Almighty laid justice to the line. Not till then was I stopped; and I believe in my heart that there is an appointed time for God to regenerate his people; and not till then can the proud heart be humbled.”

It pleased the Lord to begin a work of grace on the heart of our dear brother, and after a time the gospel of Jesus became a subject of considerable interest to him; but he could not read. The minister of the church at Blackley was very kind to him, and taught him to read, with the help of others. As soon as he could read the News Testament in some measure, he began to pull in pieces the minister’s sermon, telling him distinctly that he did not preach what the New Testament revealed, though he was still ignorant of all doctrines, in a distinctive way, save the doctrine of sin, law, and condemnation.

About this time he was informed that a Mr. Nunn, at St. Clement’s Church, Manchester, preached the gospel in a very clear and wonderful manner. He went and heard him, and continued to do so until it pleased God to reveal himself to him in pardoning his sins. Writing to a friend, he says, “I know to a yard where God pardoned my guilty soul.” Our brother became one of Mr. Nunn’s “private church.” This to some may seem a strange expression. The meaning is that a number of truly godly persons met together with Mr. Nunn for private fellowship and prayer and other godly exercises. Thus this good man, Mr. Nunn, had a kernel as well as the shell; and many dear children of God, male and female, belonged to that despised group. From this group our brother Collinge’s ministry sprang. Several other meetings they had beside their special meeting. At some of those meetings he began to comment, at length it was proposed that he should preach. One of their number lived in a cottage situated inside the graveyard, or churchyard, at Blackley, where our friend’s mortal remains now lie. In that cottage he took his first text, and preached his first sermon; and no small stir there was about it. The tempers of the people rose; they slammed the doors, and cried out, “He is sending us all to hall but himself and two or three more.” Eternal vengeance was declared against him and his gospel.

Our friend was afterwards invited to speak in the Lord’s name at Bury. He went, and the deacon there had some talk with him about baptism. He had felt much guilt of conscience while sitting at the supper with Mr. Nunn’s people, and had resolved not to sit down again without being baptized, The deacon at Bury wished him to see Mr. Gadsby upon the subject. He did so the following Saturday, and was baptized about a month afterwards, and joined the church at Manchester, from which he was transferred when he took the pastorate of the church at Bury, in 1845. He remained pastor there till 1859, and then resigned the pastorate, and became a most useful and acceptable supply among the churches till the end of 1871, when he again took the pastorate at Bury.

His last appearance before his own church and people was on the 11th of March in the present year. But he was so feeble that he sat down about the middle of each service, and rested while the brethren sang a hymn. After returning home, he took to his bed, from which he rose only for a few hours at a time, and on which he died on the 7th of May.

Very many friends visited him from time to time, and he received them all very cheerfully while able. He was perfectly resigned to God’s will; not a murmur escaped his lips. He often said, “How good the Lord is to me, and kind, that the enemy is not suffered to tempt me, and that I have no pains—no pain.”

He sank every day from the time he took to his bed, and for weeks before was observed in a sinking state. The day before he died he said to a brother minister, “Friend, preach Christ, preach Christ, with all your might;” adding, “I know you will. Farewell! Farewell!”

After death, his mortal remains fell into the hand of the law of the land, and he lies in the graveyard of the church at Blackley. The old service was read over him, but not one word said as to his having been a minister of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Had he been an old Lancashire Reformer, an oration might have been delivered. But he was “only” a faithful minister of Christ.

However, our brother Collinge is not without many seals to his ministry and souls to his hire, as the church at Bury can testify, and many other places in Lancashire. The great metropolis of the world can number many saints to whom his ministry has been a blessing; all the southern counties and the west of England can afford many tokens to his ministry. He is gone to be with Christ, which is far better, resting from his labours.

A. B. T.