FREDERICK BROTHERTON MEYER

FREDERICK BROTHERTON MEYER
1847 - 1929


One of the greatly loved preachers of his day, Frederick Brotherton Meyer was a pastor, author, Bible teacher and evangelist. He was born in London in 1847 and grew up in a Christian home. After attending Brighton College, he graduated from London University in 1869 and completed his theological training at Regents Park Baptist College. Dr. Meyer began pastoring in 1870, and in 1872 he went to Priory Street Baptist Chapel. There he met D. L. Moody, who made a lasting impression upon his life and taught him valuable spiritual lessons. These two godly men formed a lifelong friendship. In 1895 he went to Christ Church in London, with only 100 attending. Within two years he was preaching regularly to over 2,000. He remained there for fifteen years and then began a ministry of conference preaching and evangelism, traveling to South Africa and the Far East on mission endeavors. He returned to England to pastor for several years before he died in 1929. Although, for the most part, his pastorates were in England, Dr. Meyer was a frequent visitor to the United States and Canada. At the age of 80, he conducted his twelfth American preaching campaign, traveling more than 15,000 miles and addressing over 300 meetings. During his long and fruitful life, he preached more than 16,000 sermons. Said one author: "The phrasing of [Meyer's] sermons was simple and direct; he polished his discourses as an artist polishes a perfect stone. There was always a glowing imagery in his words; his speech was pastoral, lovely as an English valley washed in sunlight....In his day, great wars raged. Those who went to hear him forgot the battles." A distinct feature of F. B. Meyer's ministry was his outcry against the social evils of his day. Not only was he effective in the temperance movement, but he was also responsible for the closing of over 500 houses of prostitution. He also formed a prison aid society. A devoted student of God's Word, he was the author of over 40 books, including Bible biographies (character studies), devotional commentaries, sermon volumes and expository works. He also authored several pamphlets and edited a number of magazines. He had great influence upon such giants of the Faith as J. Wilbur Chapman and Charles H. Spurgeon. It was Spurgeon who said, "Meyer preaches as a man who has seen God face to face."

邁爾(Frederick Brotherton Meyer)。這位神所大用的仆人，雖然在他的著作中，經常援引他的經歷，他卻用種種的理由，數度拒絕撰寫自己的生平。邁爾還留下明確的指示，在他逝世時，他的日記必須被銷毀，不得被人閱讀。這個遺願在邁爾逝世時，被其遺囑執行人確實地執行。

然而，就在邁爾逝世前數天，邁爾自動地表示，他生平的簡史可以被寫下。而為了要撰寫簡史，的確也有足夠的資料被保存下來。當然，要落筆寫一些關於邁爾的回憶錄，寫作的人必須是一個對邁爾的生平有深入了解的長期同工。所以，在邁爾家人的同意下，並獲得邁爾遺囑執行人的認可，邁爾的多年同工費樂頓(W.Y.Fullerton)，寫出了《邁爾傳》(F.B.Meyer A Biography)。

感謝主，英國另一位傳記作家史特裡特(M.Jennie Street)，也著作了一本《邁爾的生平和事工》(F.B.Meyer: His Lifeand Work)，特別把邁爾從神所領受的信息，和在靈程裡的經歷，與眾信徒分享。

遺憾的是，至今沒有一本關於邁爾的中文傳略可以提供華人信徒閱讀。一百多年來，許多在中國的信徒早已知道，在西方，有一位名叫邁爾的屬靈偉人，他既有深刻的屬靈經歷，彰顯了基督的品格和美德，同時他的著作豐盈，多達七十本。而在邁爾的生前，他的書籍也已經售出五百萬冊。

邁爾既被世界各地的許多信徒公認為歷史上的杰出人物，編者於是根據各方面搜集到的資料，寫成《邁爾小傳》。讀者們不難看出，邁爾確實為主付出代價，是一個真正認識主的人。讀完邁爾的生平，讀者們會發現，邁爾成為神大用的器皿，絕不是偶然的。