Nestleton Magna
Rev. Jackson Wray
NESTLETON MAGNA.
NATHAN AT WORK.—Page 294.
NESTLETON MAGNA.
A STORY OF
YORKSHIRE METHODISM.
Thirtieth Thousand.
LONDON:
JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co
At the Ballantyne Press
TO THE
METHODIST CHURCHES
THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD,
NUMBERING SOME FIFTEEN MILLIONS OF ADHERENTS,
This Book is respectfully Dedicated,
IN HEARTY ADMIRATION OF THEIR NOBLE LABOURS IN
THE HIGHEST INTERESTS OF HUMANITY,
AND IN THE EXTENSION OF THE REDEEMER’S KINGDOM;
WITH THE EARNEST HOPE THAT,
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE, THEY WILL
SPEEDILY BE ABLE TO
ADOPT SOME PRINCIPLE OF CONFEDERACY,
BY MEANS OF WHICH THEY MAY PRESENT
A UNITED AND RESISTLESS FRONT AGAINST EVERY FORM OF
ANTI-CHRIST, AND
IN LOVING CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCHES,
MAY SOON
“WIN THE WORLD FOR CHRIST.”
PREFACE.
In this book I have sought to present a faithful picture of villageMethodism—a picture which I do not hesitate to say is beingreproduced to-day, as far as Church work and beneficent piety isconcerned, in many a village in this country. I have had, for moreyears than I care to count, an intimate knowledge of Methodist rurallife. Nathan Blyth, Old Adam Olliver and his wife Judith, and someother characters in the book, not excepting Balaam, have,unconsciously, stood for their portraits; and I dare to say that thoseparts of the story which have to do with Methodist operations andinfluences, will not be considered as overdrawn by those who are mostconversant with the inner life of the Methodist people. If it be askedwhy I have presented my pictures in fictitious frames, my answer is,that I was bound to follow my natural bent, and to allow my pen topursue the lines most congenial to the hand that wielded it; that, ofall kinds of literature, fiction is the most attractive, and as it isutterly useless to try to prevent its perusal, wisdom and religion,too, suggest that it should be provided of so pure a quality, and withso definitely a moral and religious bias, that it may not only do noharm but some good to the reader, who would otherwise go further andfare worse. I have honestly endeavoured so to write as to be able toquote dear Old Bunyan, and say,—
The rapid sale of the former editions of “Nestleton Magna,” and thenumerous criticisms to which it has been subjected, have given me awelcome and unexpectedly early opportunity of giving it a carefulrevision, especially in the rendering of the East Yorkshire dialect.It is now presented to the public