TWICE-BORN MEN
REMARKABLE CONVERSIONS OF WELL-KNOWN MEN
IN DIFFERENT AGES AND IN VARIED RANKS OF LIFE
Compiled by HY. PICKERING
A London Brewer of Fame
FREDERICK N. CHARRINGTON was the son of a brewer, his father being a partner of the huge brewing concern of Charrington, Head & Co., Mile End, London. After leaving college Mr. Charrington was sent to learn the brewing business. On a continental tour he became acquainted at Cannes with William Rainsford. One night, during the course of conversation, Mr. Rainsford acknowledged that he was a Christian, and asked his friend if he were saved. Mr. Charrington was startled by the suddenness of the thrust, and tried hard to parry it. But it was of no use, for Mr. Rainsford pressed the question home, and had this consolation that Mr. Charrington promised to read carefully the third chapter of the Gospel of John. Before retiring to rest, without any special concern or anxiety of soul, Mr. Charrington commenced to peruse the life-giving words of John 3. 16. On reaching the last verse of the chapter: “He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” he saw that Christ had finished the work for him on Calvary, and by believing the good news he was the happy possessor of everlasting life.
One evening he was going from business to the hay-loft where the school for poor children, in which be helped, was held, and Mr. Charrington will tell what happened: “As I approached one public-house a poor woman with two or three children dragging at her skirts, went up to the swing doors, and calling out to her husband inside, she said, ‘0 Tom, do give me some money; the children are crying for bread.’ At that the man came through the doorway. He made no reply in words. He looked at her for a moment, and then knocked her down into the gutter. Just then I looked up and saw my own name ‘CHARRINGTON’ in huge gilt letters on the top of the public-house, and it suddenly flashed into my mind that this was only one case of dreadful misery and brutality in one of the hundreds of public-houses that our firm possessed. It was a crushing realisation, the most concrete object lesson that a man could possibly have. ‘What a frightful responsibility for evil rested upon us! And then and there, without any hesitation, I said to myself, in reference to the sodden brute who had knocked his wife into the gutter, ‘Well, you have knocked your poor wife down, and with the same blow you have knocked me out of the brewery business.’ I knew I could never bear the awful responsibility of so much guilt upon my soul, and I determined I would never enter the brewery again”
Mr. Charrington told his father he would have nothing whatever to do with the business. The father’s anger and disappointment were intense, but his son was unmoved. Mr. Charrington gave up one million and a quarter of money, equal to about £1000 a week , or ‘52,000 a year , for conscience’ sake. His father on his death-bed sent for him, and said: “Fred, you have chosen the better part which will never be taken away,” and then whispered in his ear, “I am afraid I have left you very badly off, but it is too late now,” and shortly afterwards died.
Mr. Charrington left his luxurious house and took a small house in the district where he laboured, gathering around him a band of earnest soul-winners. Through the aid of a number of the Lord’s stewards the Great Assembly Hall, Mile End Road, holding five thousand persons, was erected. It has been open every night of the week since, and thousands of souls have been rescued from the slavery and penalty of sin.