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THE

EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE

AND

MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

DECEMBER 1825.

MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. WILLIAM CARVER,
OF MELBOURN, CAMBRIDGESHIRE.

IN perusing some of the earlier volumes of the Evangelical Magazine, we are reminded of the language of the Psalmist, "O God, our fathers have told us what works thou didst in their days, in the times of old:" and, after their example, we consider it our duty not to hide the goodness of the Lord from our children, “showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord; that the generation to come might know them, even the children who should be born, who should arise and declare his praises to their children; that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his command

ments."

In the fifth volume of this Miscellany is contained a concise, but interesting biography of the Rev. John Carver, who closed his earthly pilgrimage and ministerial labours at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Jan. 31st, 1797. We have now to present to our readers some account of the son of that excellent man, the late Rev. W. Carver, of Melbourn, Cambridgeshire.

This respectable scholar and faithful minister of the gospel was born at

VOL. III

Kirtling, near Newmarket, on the 11th of August, 1770, and on that very day of the month fifty-five years afterwards, his mourning friends were assembled to attend the solemnities of his funeral.

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Before the close of that year which gave birth to our friend, his respected father was removed to Wellingbo rough, where he continued honoured and useful for twenty-seven years. The writer of this Memoir was born. at Wellingborough the November following, and was probably one of the first infants whom Mr. J. C. dedicated by baptism to Jesus Christ'; his father, who is now living, in his 80th year, being a member of the church. of which Mr. Carver took the oversight, and by his brethren he was, a few years afterwards, called to the work of the ministry.

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When about nine years of age, the writer and the subject of this Memoir were, both together, placed under the care of the Rev. Moses Gregson, of Rowell, Northamptonshire, by whom they were instructed in classical learning between six and seven years. They were witnesses, during that time, of each other's early 2X

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convictions of the power and excellency of evangelical truth, and sympathised with each other in those exercises of mind which such convice tions occasion in persons who are impressed with them in early years; and about the same time they enter tained very serious views of the work of the ministry, to which they felt a desire to be devoted.

From the school at Rowell, Mr. Carver was removed to the venerable Independent College at Homerton; where he attended to his studies with great diligence, and made considerable progress in the different branches of science to which his attention was directed. Towards the close of his studies he was invited, on probation, by the Congregational Church at Melbourn, to whom his services were highly acceptable, and over whom he was ordained pastor, March 6, 1792; two years and three months after the decease of their former respected pastor, the late Rev. R. Cooper. The father of our friend delivered a very solemn and impressive charge on that occasion, from 1 Tim. iv. 16, "Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all men: and Mr. Douglas, then of Newmarket, (now of Reading,) addressed the church from Deut. i. 38, "Encourage him." On the 19th of the same month he married, at Islington, that excellent woman who became his faithful assistant in all the duties of life, and especially of the flourishing school which he superintended for about thirty years, with much credit to himself, satisfaction to the parents and guardians of youth, and benefit to those who were entrusted to his care. Some hundreds of the most respectable Dissenters, besides many of the National Church, are indebted to him for their early instruction: and not a few showed their grateful sense of their obligation by coming from the metropolis, and from different counties, to attend his funeral, who, with

others, are still continuing to manifest it, by making a voluntary collection among those who have been his pupils, to erect a tablet to his memory; which must be peculiarly pleasing to his surviving son, who intends to continue the school, of which he has had the chief management for several years; and to his affectionate widow, who will superintend the domestic arrangements.

Mr. C. met with some heavy trials in early life, which were peculiarly distressing to his affectionate sensibilities: but he passed through them with fortitude and patience, which, if his youth at that time be considered, were very distinguished and extraordinary; and showed how he was supported and animated by the power of pious and benevolent principles.

There was something in his disposition remarkably amiable and attractive: "As a husband and a father," says his son," he could not be surpassed; I never experienced from him any thing but kindness, and his memory will live

"Dum memor ipse mii, dum spiritus hos regit artus."

Those who remember him as a son, with his parents, will ever consider him as a pattern of that dutiful and tender conduct which is due from children to those whose affection aud care for them lay them under the most weighty obligations. To his companions and intimates he was all that was kind and lovely; and one, whom he loved to call the friend of his youth, can testify that, after a trial of fifty years, he was worthy of the highest esteem and confidence.

His principles, as a divine, were those which are generally known by the term moderate Calvinism; under the influence of these he lived as became a follower of Christ; and these he illustrated and inculcated in his preaching, as suited to give glory to God, to afford peace to the penitent believer, and to stimulate all who re

ceived them to live a holy life, and to walk humbly with God.

He was an able minister of the New Testament: there was a richness and copiousness in his thoughts, a freeness and happy familiarity, united with solemnity, in his style of instruction. He would frequently say, when invited to preach from home, that he never wished to go abroad, for he never could feel as he did when addressing his beloved charge, to whom he could speak as a father to his children. His discourses were all of a practical tendency; he was at once faithful and tender, and appeared deeply impressed with a sense of the greatness of his work and his awful responsibility, and this made him truly in earnest, and warmly animated in the discharge of it.

Upon his labours the Great Head of the Church was graciously pleased to confer his blessing: many were added to the communion of saints, and the congregation considerably increased, so that in the year 1813 the meetinghouse was enlarged, and is now estimated to seat about 700 persons. In his connexion with the church and congregation he was highly favoured: during a residence of more than thirty-four years, nothing of an unpleasant nature occurred between minister and people. He was universally beloved: high and low, rich and poor, Churchmen and Dissenters, esteemed him as a common friend, and children and young people as a common parent. He was most eminently a peace-maker: the qualities of his head and heart, together with his acquirements, which were more than respectable, and such as very few among his brethren have attained, gave him a commanding influence, which he improved to the good of man, and the glory of God.

The indefatigable exertions of Mr. Carver, both in the school, and in the ministry, were the admiration of those who were acquainted with them: the duties of either of these alone would

have been sufficient for ordinary per→ sons; but he discharged them all with uncommon energy and cheerfulness, and his mind never seemed to be ruffled by the various cares that devolved upon him, or fatigued by the constant exertions that were required. Perhaps, however, such services might be gradually undermining his bodily constitution; frequent headaches, to which he was liable from his youth, increased by incessant application, and at length those diseases were induced which ended in his lamented dissolution.

He received the first alarming attack in the pulpit, from whence he was obliged to be conveyed by his friends; but it was highly gratifying, after this, to see the serenity of his mind unabated, and his energies considerably restored.

By some error he has been represented as being reduced by frequent attacks of paralysis. "He had," says his son, "but one paralytic attack, which was brought on by his chaise being run down by a wagon, when he miraculously escaped being crushed beneath the wheel;" from this also he had remarkably recovered; "his mind discovered its usual vigour, and he seemed to enjoy life, and diffuse happiness around him."

He appeared to enjoy great satisfaction in an intercourse of a few days with his earliest friend ;—the thoughts of an uninterrupted friendship of nearly fifty years, and the hopes of renewing it in a future state, and prolonging it through eternity, were mutually delightful. He seemed to be on the verge of heaven, and expressed a cheerful acquiescence in the divine disposal of his afflictions. He had resigned the superintendence of his beloved and affectionate charge at the close of the year 1824, and was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Medway, their present esteemed pastor. If he regretted any thing, it was his incapacity for his ministerial duties :

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