THE Evangelical Magazine, For SEPTEMBER, 1799. BIOGRAPHY. MEMOIR OF THE REV. RICHARD WINTER, B. D. Mr. nine years old, he became experimentally acquainted with his own heart, and the excellency and all-fufficiency of Jefus Chrift; and from that time bore an honourable teftimony to the power of the Gospel, in fupporting a finner under the trials of the Chriftian life. His friends originally intended him for bufinefs, but were diverted from that defign, by his ftrong propenfity to ftudy, and erneft defire. for the miniftry; in compliance with which they placed him under the care of the learned Mr. John Eames. He began to preach fo early as at 19 years of age. But his teftimonial, figned by Doctors Guife, Jennings, &c. bears the date of 1742, when he was about 22. During the first year after his entrance on the miniftry, he preached at Bradford, Wilts, where he received an unanimous call to the paftoral office, but declined accepting it. He then preach-ed at Stepney, where he had a fimilar invitation; but thought the place too large for his conftitution, which was never. ftrong. At 25, he was appointed affiftant to Mr. Hall, on the Pavement, Moorfields, where he continued 14 years; during part of which time, he alfo delivered a Lord's-day evening lecture at flington. On Mr. Hall's death, Mr. W. had the offer to fucceed him, but preferred accepting another invitation which was given him at the fame time, to be co-paftor with the celebrated Mr. Thomas Bradbury, at New-Court Meeting* At this place Mr. W. was ordained in June, 1759; and Mr. Bradbury dying in September This place was built originally for the famous Mr. Daniel Burgess. VOL. VII. following, 3 D following, he fucceeded him, and continued paftor of that church till his death, which was a period of forty years. He was alfo one of the minifters of Pinners-Hall Lecture, now removed to Dr. Stafford's, in New Broad-street. In 1751, Mr. W. married Sarah, the third daughter of the late eminently pious Mr. Williams, of Kidderminster, whofe character and diary are well known in the religious, world. She was truly an excellent woman, and finished her courfe with joy, in 1778; her funeral fermon was delivered by Mr. Olding of Deptford. They had three children: the eldeft, Marth, married the Rev. Mr. Hamilton, now of Brighton, who was fome years affiftant to her father. The fecond, Sarah, married Mr. Samuel Addington, (eldest son of the late Dr. Addington of Miles's-lane) in 1776, and died in 1781, in a moft happy and triumphant manner, leaving one child, named after her mother, who alfo died at eight years of age, in June, 1787; and her decease was particularly noticed by her grand-father, in one of his printed difcourfes, in the following terms. "I will conclude with faying (and I fpeak it to the honour of free grace) the Lord heard prayer for my dear grandchild, whom a few days ago he took from me by death. During the space of feven months the endured a painful and heavy affliction with great patience; and when there was no hope of recovery, many fupplications were offered, that before her departure the might be helped to utter fomething, which fhould by a fatisfactory evidence of a good work begun in her foul. Accordingly, the day before fhe died, the lifted up her hands in bed, and prayed that the Lord would pardon all her fins, and take from her the heart of ftone, and give her the heart of flesh. And within an hour or two of her departure fhe was heard to say in the words of Jacob, "I will not let thee go, except thou blefs me." 66 Mr. W.'s third child was a fon, named Jofeph, who was placed out to bufinefs, but died before the expiration of his apprenticeship. This youth discovered a gaiety of temper which afforded fome concern to his venerable parent; but his laft illness was fan&tified, and in 1784, he alfo finished his courfe with joy; and his own father preached his funeral fermon from thofe ftriking words of the father of the prodigal: "This my fon was dead, and is alive again: was loft and is found." A difcourfe which has been much admired * Four Sermons preached at New-Court, &c. + Luke xv. 24. aud and made useful to others. Soon after this Mr. W. loft his eldest brother alfo, a gentleman of large fortune, and of honourable character, whofe funeral fermon (a moft affecting difcourfe) he allo preached to a fympathifing auditory, from Pfalm iv. 1. "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceafeth, &c." During the whole of his long life, Mr. W. maintained the character of a judicious, evangelical, and experimental divine; a fincere, eminent, and confiftent Chriftian. Thofe who were acquainted with him in the pulpit only, knew not half his 'worth. He was deeply concerned for the falvation of his children and fervants. He had the pleasure to fee all his children fet out in the ways of God, and two of them, as above obferved, happily complete their courfe before him. Three of his fervants, who came into his houfe ignorant and careless, afterwards joined his church, bleffing God for their introduction to fuch a family, and attributing their first serious impreffions to the domeftic instruction of their mafter. After preaching on Lord's-day, March 17, 1799, with peculiar animation, he was feized with an oppreffion of his breath, and other complaints to which he was previously fubject. Thefe continued growing worfe till his difmiffion from the body on the 29th of the fame month. A friend calling one day hoped to have found him better by the account received from his houfe-keeper on the preceding day; he replied, "They are very kind, but they know not my feelings. I know affuredly I fhall not live many days. I have had many warnings, but this is the fummons to call me home, nor does it in the leaft difmay me. For I know my foundation ftands fure, and that I fhall foon be at the right hand of God, as certainly as that I now exift. O to be free from fin, perfect in holiness, and immediately to pafs into glory! my heart rejoices at fuch a tranfition. But, O the wanderings of my heart! I long to be frced from fuch intruders. Not that I have any malicious thoughts against any one; but my mind is like my dying body, weak and wandering. O what an unworthy creature! why was I fpared to be 18 years older than my brother was when he died, who appeared much more likely for a long life than I did? But God's ways are a great deep. O that good may have been done by the feeble efforts of fuch an unworthy creature! But heaven is free, through the merits of my Redeemer; and the prayer of the publican ever fhall be mine." And mine." He added, "They have written to day for my daughter-I thank them for their kindness-but Jefus is my all now. I love her dearly-very dearly indeed, (at this the tear stole down his venerable cheek)-fhe has been an amiable relation to me; but I love her none at all-I fay, none at all, compared with Jefus Chrift, my only and all-fufficient Saviour. He has been for many years my only foundation, my all in all !" Quite fatigued, he now requested this friend to talk with him, but grief preventing, he proceeded- Some weak minds may fuppofe that as my illnefs came fo foon after my daughter and her family departed, that it is on that account; but it is no fuch thing. Contradict that whenever you hear it. years had no will of my own; but defired all my concerns I have for many to be managed as my heavenly Father pleases. had all the events that have taken place been arranged before me, I would have chofen them all to be precifely as they now are. God has a work for them to do where they are gone; and the Lord bless them there! We had fome minifters on Friday, and spent the afternoon in prayer, committing them to their God and mine, and there I left them. The night before they journeyed, my waking hours were fo filled with the prefence of God, that I never enjoyed fuch a night. In the morning I preached at Broadftreet, and O what a feafon had I there! Surely fuch feafons are bleffed foretaftes of heaven, and make me long for the full enjoyment. O, my dear friend, I fhall foon be there, and you will foon be in dying circumftances, as I now am. I charge you to keep clofe to God and duty. Fill up your place where God at firft called you in his houfe. O that the church may be kept together! It is my dying charge, that you fill up your place. My time is very fhort. May the Lord blefs you! Give my love to him I love him. We have had fweet converfe together of the things of the kingdom, but we fhall foon enjoy it. I am - Tell juft at the threshold of heaven.-Farewell !" The Lord's-day previous to his death, he faid to another friend-"I have been thinking on thofe words, Whofe names are written in the Lamb's book of life. But how fhall a man know that his name is written in that book? Thofe words darted into my mind, as an answer from fcripture, I will write my new name upon him. Now where Chrift has written his new name upon any man's heart, don't you think he has good ground to conclude his name is written |