Jabez Burnes

Jabez Burns, temperance reformer and preacher (December 18, 1805 – January 31, 1876) was an English nonconformist and Christian philosophical writer and one of the first clergymen to preach teetotalism from the pulpit. Born in Oldham, Lancashire, where his father was a chemist, he was educated at Chester and the grammar school at Oldham, which he left to engage in commercial pursuits at York and Bradford. For three years he managed a bookselling business at Keighley. His mother, who died in his early childhood, was a Wesleyan, and named him after Dr. Jabez Bunting.

Burns joined the Methodists, and at 16 and delivered his first public address in a Methodist house near York. In 1824 Burns married Jane Keighley and in 1826 left for London. Here in the midst of hardship he commenced his career as a religious writer with his compilation of the Christian's Sketch Book (1828). After a few months spent in mission work in Scotland 1829, he was from 1830 to 1835 pastor of a chapel in Perth. He travelled around the country during this period, preaching on temperance. In May 1835 he took the role of pastor of the baptists in Ænon Chapel, New Church Street, Marylebone, and moved with his family to London. His congregation at first was small, but owing to his enthusiasm it increased so much that twice in the first 25 years of his ministry at Paddington it was found necessary to enlarge the building in which it worshipped.

He visited USA in 1847 as a delegate from the General Baptist Association and also in 1872. His "Retrospect of a Forty Years' Ministry," published in 1875, gives an interesting description of the modern progress of religion, temperance and philanthropic enterprises. Jabez Burns was a pastor who understood the role and value of mothers. He knew from personal experience the power of a godly mother and was passionate about his concern that his generation would value and cherish the high calling of motherhood. “Our day is reaping what it has sown for many years. It has been nearly two generations that have sown the seeds of radical feminism, and we have been reaping the bitter and ugly fruits in our day. It is our desire that the Lord will use a book like this to restore to women a proper view of their highest calling, the calling of motherhood.”

Burns had much influence as a preacher and public speaker, especially on temperance. He is said to have been the first clergyman of any denomination to preach teetotalism from the pulpit. He delivered 35 annual temperance sermons, beginning 16 December 1839. He was very efficient as a preacher and public speaker and highly esteemed. He died at home in Porteus Road, Paddington, on 31 January 1876 aged 70.